After every monthly meeting, EVA members and guests are invited to join the critique group. What is this, why should you come, and what exactly goes on at a critique meeting?

Critique means to criticize or “consider merits and demerits and judge accordingly.” The word “critical” also means “indispensable”–as in you don’t really want to do without someone seeing your work–and it means “exercising or involving careful judgment.” Our group considers the work of others as important.

Those wishing to participate in the critique group email up to 20 pages from their work in progress at least 10 days prior to our meeting so that each member is able to review the information beforehand.  Feedback is provided to each writer–what was good, what didn’t work, what might help to give the scene more punch and so on.

Participants learn how to edit the work of others and practice viewing their own work critically in order to polish their manuscript for submission.

All members are encouraged to participate in our critique group to gain the valuable experience of learning what works and doesn’t work for various readers.

From unpublished to multi-published writers, the group is diverse. So participants are exposed to a range of input focusing on plot, characterization, description, and even brainstorming how to resolve issues within the work.

Together, we work toward becoming better writers.

The critique group is run by renowned author Shannon Donnelly. Be sure to email your pages to Shannon at least 10 days before the monthly meeting.