Any Love Connections?

April 19, 2010 in Etc. | 21 comments

I am using up a valuable Monday post to make sure you all are reading and checking the Critique Connection post. There are about 90 people on there who are looking to find a good critique partner. It’s overwhelming, I know, but read through them. And let me know if anything you find through that venue works out!

Speaking of overwhelming, my schedule has been INSANE. I’ve loved meeting all of the blog readers (and welcoming any new ones!) I met these last two weeks. However, three consecutive weekends of travel (NYC, Dallas and Reno/Tahoe) have really taken their toll. I’ll be back with a new post on Wednesday.

Related posts:

  1. Contest Update
  2. Review: Peace, Love & Baby Ducks

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  1. Kristen F’s avatar

    Kristen F on April 19, 2010 at 9:11 am

    Your love connections worked out really well — I’m in touch with several people, and we’ve already started scheduling and critiquing. Thank you, thank you !

  2. Olleymae’s avatar

    Olleymae on April 19, 2010 at 9:30 am

    Already started swapping pages with my new critique buddy. Thanks Mary!!!! Hope you get some time to relax and enjoy your iPad :)

  3. Julie Hedlund’s avatar

    Julie Hedlund on April 19, 2010 at 10:25 am

    Yes and I’ve already traded work with my new buddy. Thanks for organizing us!

  4. Marybk’s avatar

    Marybk on April 19, 2010 at 10:28 am

    Yesssss! Can’t thank you enough. We’ve got some great KidLit readers on our critique forum with a lot of energy, and I’m loving it!

  5. Erinn’s avatar

    Erinn on April 19, 2010 at 11:24 am

    My crit buddy is awesome… Thank you. This was a great way to meet people who write in the same genre and understand how it works.

  6. Naomi Canale’s avatar

    Naomi Canale on April 19, 2010 at 11:43 am

    Thanks for this Mary! I’ve met a couple of people and they like first-person present tense, yay! Finally, I’ve met someone :) We’ve already started swapping…

  7. Sheri Larsen’s avatar

    Sheri Larsen on April 19, 2010 at 12:44 pm

    Wow. I didn’t know about this. Thanks for the link.

  8. Alice Beesley’s avatar

    Alice Beesley on April 19, 2010 at 2:05 pm

    I’ve found several critique buddies. It’s amazing how much I have in common with some of them.

  9. Sandy Shin’s avatar

    Sandy Shin on April 19, 2010 at 4:54 pm

    Thank you for the Critique Connection post! I’ve found several critique partners and have begun exchanging chapters. :)

  10. Theresa Milstein’s avatar

    Theresa Milstein on April 19, 2010 at 7:50 pm

    Mary, this was a great idea. Marybk set up a critique group and separated us by interest and genre. In addition, I’ve had two separate e-mail requests that I’m working on. I’ll be busy, but I’m looking forward to it!

  11. Mary’s avatar

    Mary on April 19, 2010 at 8:43 pm

    Yes! It’s so exciting! What’s really trippy is that all of my e-mails have been from women named Mary. And my name is Mary. And your name is Mary.

    It’s all very strange. But thank you!

    And I saw you in Reno at the writers conference, which was totally amazing! (I didn’t get a one-on-one, or to talk to you because you were bombarded by people, and I didn’t want to drive you to drink! Although, you probably could have used one after all of that).

    But I enjoyed your session and thought you were very funny yet professional. Seriously, I probably would have been going crazy with all of the questions and attention you were getting!

    Anyways, thanks for all that, and looking forward to querying you – when I am ready!

    Mary

  12. Cid’s avatar

    Cid on April 20, 2010 at 7:06 am

    This was a great idea, and I’m really enjoying the new chapters and people. Really great experience!!!

  13. Sue W’s avatar

    Sue W on April 20, 2010 at 7:16 am

    It has been uber-cool. For the first time I’m getting to sharpen up my own writing from advice from a non-relative! It’s also hugely educational actually thinking about why something works in someone else’s writing and being able to apply that new-found ‘ah-ha’ to my own work. Thanks so much, Mary – and thank you new critique partners (you know who you are!).

  14. Merry Monteleone’s avatar

    Merry Monteleone on April 20, 2010 at 8:40 am

    This was a really great idea, Mary! Thank you so much. I’m still working through my rough draft, so I hadn’t been looking for new beta readers yet, but I know I’ll like to work with critique partners pretty soon, and while I have a few tried and true crit friends, I’d always love a few more sets of eyes and the fun of helping other writers with their work.

    If anyone is interested, a friend of mine who’s a poet asked me to register with a brand new site called, Acoustic Ink. It’s a website and message board for writers to help each other, support each other and exchange ideas and resources. It’s in its infancy right now, and most of the users so far are poets, but I’d love to see more fiction writers there if anyone’s interested. Acoustic Ink

  15. Michele Tennant’s avatar

    Michele Tennant on April 20, 2010 at 9:41 am

    This was a great idea Mary!

    I made some wonderful connections. I’m now part of two organized critique groups, one for picture books which has six members. We’ve been divided into two groups. Three of us post one week and three the next and we all critique the stories which are posted. I’ve already posted a story and critiqued one.

    The other connection is for Y/A novels. It’s on an invitation only website where writers can connect and critique. I’ve got two new critique partners and have already posted my first chapter. I’m waiting for the others to post so I can begin critiquing their stuff.

    I really missed my old critique group. These groups are great, not just for all that I learn, but I like having a deadline. It keeps me motivated knowing I am expected to post a chapter or story or rewrite each week or every other week.

  16. kris f’s avatar

    kris f on April 20, 2010 at 10:01 am

    I have been scouring different writing groups for years looking for critique partners. It took one day of sending off just a couple of quick notes and now I have a great little support group. You Rock! Thanks!

  17. Heidi’s avatar

    Heidi on April 20, 2010 at 10:56 am

    It’s been fantastic! I’m really enjoying the chapters I’ve been given to read, and it has made me look at my own MS with fresh eyes! Plus, my critique partner is fabulously funny!

    Thanks for the great idea, Mary!

  18. Brenda’s avatar

    Brenda on April 21, 2010 at 12:04 am

    Yes, it’s been GREAT! I’ve met a couple of people to share work with and the feedback has been really really helpful. I’ve also been so impressed with what I’ve read. Thanks for doing this!

  19. Jeannine M.’s avatar

    Jeannine M. on April 22, 2010 at 6:57 am

    I found my fabulous crit partner Julie. Definetly love at first sight. Thanks so much. This was awesome!!!!

  20. Marybk’s avatar

    Marybk on May 4, 2010 at 8:43 pm

    Alright.

    I’m not a love at first sight person. My husband learned that the hard way (tho I have to say it worked in his favor).

    I HEART my critique partners from KidLit Connection.

    Truly. Forever.

    And I had to get back to you to RE-state this. KIDLIT RULES!

  21. Mary’s avatar

    Mary on May 4, 2010 at 10:30 pm

    Marybk — Yay! I’m going to make Critique Connection a semi-regular thing, just to make sure people are enjoying their matches or new readers are being served or people who want to shuffle have some fresh material.