Being a part of the Inked Voices world means being part of a community. The myriad opportunities offered through the website are valuable and engaging. But the most valuable asset is the people. At the core, a writing community- whether online or “in the real world”- is driven by the people who participate. The connections we make, the effort we give, and the trust we establish with other writers all conspire to drive our growth as authors.
As writers, we spend a lot of time alone in our heads. We think. We write. We edit. But for all this alone time, we benefit from sharing our words with others. Enter the critique groups. Critique groups are the nursery for our creative growth, a place where our nascent ideas flourish and where we help others usher their bourgeoning thoughts into creative maturity.
I believe in the power of critiques, both for the critiquer and the critique-ee. When we share our work and let it take those first few tentative steps into the world, we change it. By sharing our evolving work we embark upon an important step. Critiques are an essential tool in allowing our work to flourish. We ask for feedback and opinions. We transform our solitary endeavor into a social one. Through critiques we discover the impact and shortcomings of our budding words. The beauty of a critique group is the wide ranging opinions we receive. And the key word here is “opinions.” One of the missteps of a writer new to critique groups is taking every bit of feedback as law. The feedback is meant as a guide, not a hard edit. We need to read through all the thoughts and suggestions and use what feels right, what makes sense. We expand our repertoire from the inside out.
Alternately, giving a critique is a valuable endeavor. When we read someone else’s work with a critical eye, we simultaneously hone our writing skills. By recognizing plot holes, weak characterizations, and clunky writing in other works we are better able to begin seeing them in our own. We get a feel for new writing styles, approaches, and visions. We expand our repertoire from the outside in.
As members of Inked Voices–or any critique group–we have an amazing resource at our disposal: community. But that resource only works if we use it. So by all means, join a group. Join a few. But once you’ve joined, participate. Submit your work for critiques. Read what other writers feel about your words. Learn from them. But just as important, take the time and effort to read and critique other stories. Take advantage of the word-nursery and allow your stories–and others’–to grow, flourish, and mature.