I’ve been meeting with a small group of writer friends for four years now. Actually, we refer to each other as “writer fam.” There are so many benefits to forming relationships with other writers, and the best (in my opinion) is the emotional support they can provide. Other writers understand the process of writing and submitting your work in a way that non-writer friends cannot. My writer fam is so supportive, always cheering me on and urging me to persevere when things get challenging.

The members of my writing friends group are also my critique partners. We exchange work, then meet in person to discuss it bi-weekly. Maintaining this schedule encourages us to keep churning out pages.

Critique partners can provide insight into big picture things like character arc as well as details like punctuation and grammar. Ideally, they offer the kind of non-biased feedback that you can’t get from a friend or relative. However, my writer friends have become more biased over the years and are now more likely to give feedback like “I love this!”

How to find a critique group of your own

I met the members of my critique group when I attended a writing class. The class was a continuing education course offered by a local university. This is a great way to connect with other writers who are serious about improving their craft.

There are also critique group matching services available online. Look for writing organizations that are specific to your genre. I write mystery and women’s fiction, so I am a member of Sisters in Crime and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Both of these offer routes to find critique groups. Non-genre specific options include Manuscript Academy, Jerico Writers, and Savvy Authors