Laura’s posting on April 30th got me thinking about critique groups, and how to go about setting yourself up with the right critique group so you can advance your mystery writing career.
I've had some experience with setting up critique groups and keeping them alive. I spent years coaching a writing group at our local library. We primarily focused on critiquing each others’ works in progress. It was fun, and some writers went on to become novelists, but we had a large drop-out rate, too. Sometimes good writers dropped out, and that bothered me. Until I read Laura’s posting and realized the strengths and the flaws inherent in our writer’s group.
What was wrong with our writing group at the library? We were a varied group, writers from all genres. What was right? We were a varied group, writers from all genres. We enhanced each others’ pieces by bringing varied perspectives to the table – varied expectations of writings and varied approaches to crafting a good story. Our shortcomings applied to the genre-specific plot expectations of editors and agents. All good stories have conflict and resolution, valiant warriors winning against all odds, but the plot devices expected by the publishers vary from genre to genre. Sci-fi mysteries face a different set of expectations than romantic mysteries. Our library group was great at helping first drafts head in the right direction, but not so great when it came to searching for the missing elements that would make the manuscript hit the mark dead on.
So, if you are a mystery writer, you need to find mystery groups, right? Kinda. You need to consider your subgenre, if you want the fine details of your story to line up in your favor. What subgenres are there in mysteries? A wicked lot of them! Here’s a few to consider:
- Cozy Mystery – contains cozy elements and no violence on stage
- Hard-Boiled Mystery – noir – tough guys, tough gals and blood
- Romance Mystery
- Private Eye Mystery
- Police Procedural Mystery
- Ethnic/Cultural Based Mystery
- Psychological Suspense Mystery
- Paranormal Mystery
- Historical Mystery
- Chick Lit Mystery
- Medical Mystery
- Erotic Mystery
- Caper/Sting
- Legal Mystery
- Forensic Mystery
- Female in Jeopardy Mystery
- Hen Lit Mystery, to name a few!
Often you can find subgenres that mesh together rather well – just don’t expect a slasher novelist to be a good critic for your cozy mystery. That’s why you might want to search the internet for writing groups which address a broad spectrum of mystery – groups like the Sisters In Crime and Mystery Writers of America - where various “Chapter” groups exist based upon either geographical location or subgenre interests. Once that’s done, you’ll be interacting with similarly oriented writers, and potential critique buddies will appear on the horizon.
That’s when you realize that there are nuances to be considered between a stand-alone book and one in a series. Ah, the fine tuning that comes with finding someone strong where you’re weak, and someone who is weak where you are strong. That’s another factor, too!
Finding the right critiquing buddies is a challenge right up there with finding the right agent and the right editor. But, once that’s done, you’re golden!
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3 comments:
Erotic mystery? Wonderful! How do sleuths have time for so much sex I wonder!
I think it would be a problem if most of the members of a group wrote a particular genre and you wrote something else, as in Laura's case. But a varied group can be hugely helpful if everyone's intelligent, well-read, and an experienced enough writer to provide some analysis along with editing help.
In my own group we've grown as writers together. Started out dabbling. Got serious at around the same time. Learned and shared the basics about dialogue, characterization, and plot. Inspired (and continue to inspire) one another. And as we all learn more about structure and pacing and character arc and how to group scenes and using the telling detail and pitching and querying and on and on...well I can't imagine this journey without my group.
Nan-
I love this thread of posts, because I know how deeply this topic hits people, and I like reading everyone's take.
I see what you're saying, but I feel conflicted about the idea of seriously narrowcasting. It may be impractical to find thoe folks and meet, except online, because there are now so many subgenres of subgenres. But usually, for me at least, a book is good not because of the category it's in but because of its quality as a story and an experience. While I absolutely agree that its wise to understand reader expectations for a certain genre or market, I think writing a great, compelling story transcends genre and attracts readers from other areas.
I have had, like you, some varied writers in my groups, but understanding the kind of book they're trying to write and the basics of structure, I feel I'm able to give good, usable feedback. If, like Laura posted, someone's just not enjoying reading that far afield from their own aims, there's no good reason to force it. But I find the bones of scenes and characters, beneath the unicorn horns or trench coats, have some commonality and I've learned a great deal from it...I think. (I'll let you know when I get a contract.)
I've got some scifi/fantasy readers over at my review site who won't touch mysteries, until I show them that mystery bridges every style and flavor of book. Only like Elves? There's a great mystery for you, and some of the most wonderful books I've read recently are real genrebusters. I've heard editors and readers say they want something they love done fresh. Clear as mud? They like the conventions, but shaken up to bring back the sparkle and delight. I think ideas from "outside" can add that spice, and worrying too much about the microslices of subgenre rather than the overarching integrity of the book proves problematic for some writers who get told their work is cliched and nothing-special.
No decent-sized publisher stays afloat on only gardening mysteries, and I don't know any readers who are that exclusive. I do believe we should all (especially the unpublished) be avid readers in the realm where we hope to be published, so we can see what's been successful and not-so. But I have been in groups where a narrow focus created such an echo chamber of rules and conventions that there was no room for the story to breathe or surprise and the writer's creativity seemed smothered. My groups have inherited these disaffected emigres.
That said, I believe anything that's working works. So, if someone from a great gardening-mystery-only group is reading, please let us know its strengths and why it's wonderful.
I was interested to see there is a group for paranormal mystery. That sounds a bit like me!
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