The title of today’s blog is misleading but it does rhyme! There is no mystery about the Cozy Critiques. The official definition of a critique is an opinion or analysis or observation. A cozy critique (although I can’t find it listed in a dictionary) is a united effort of friends helping each other become better writers. Yesterday as Peg, Jane, Helen, Nancy and I gathered around my hundred year old table, we shared more than opinions, observations, tea, coffee and cookies; we shared encouragement, hopes, works in progress and quite a few laughs. Linda, our newest member, couldn’t make it yesterday but we are hopeful she will be with us next time around. I should mention right here that there is another member of our Cozy Critiquers. Lola is a dear friend of 50 years, a retired English teacher living in Oklahoma. She is critiquing my third cozy via email, so although she wasn’t with us in person, she certainly was in spirit.
Nancy shared what she learned at a recent writers’ conference. The thing that stood out in my mind was the importance of good dialogue in writing. It is vital that characters talk to each other. A story that merely tells might get to be a little bit boring. Characters actually speaking make the story more appealing and move the story line along. For example, I could have just told what happened in an earthquake segment in Grave Shift:
Jasper thought that he and I should hurry and get to the school where his mother was working. He was afraid she might have been injured in the earthquake. I was willing to take him to the school but a large tree lay across the road, blocking our path. There was no way around it. Jasper, however, had an idea.
But I did not write the episode that way. Instead, I used conversation between Darcy and Jasper to move the story along. This is what is in the book:
“Jasper? Jasper Harris? What are you doing out in these woods?”
“Never mind that. We’ve got to get to the school. My mother is there. That was an earthquake. Did you know that? I didn’t know we had earthquakes around here. Maybe Mom was hurt. Come on. We’ve got to go to the school. Now, Miss Darcy.” He trotted to the passenger side of the car and opened the door.
I slid back behind the steering wheel. “In case you didn’t notice, Jasper, that tree is bigger than we are. I don’t think I can plow through it.”
“Never mind. Back up. There’s an old wagon road back there a piece. I know a shortcut.”
Critiques are enlightening, sometimes humbling experiences. Our writings get to be pretty dear to us. We like what we write! And we want others to like it too. The thing of it is, nobody is perfect and certainly not this writer! So, although the defensive mode might rear its egotistical head, I realize that suggestions, other ideas and opinions are like flashlights showing things I had been unaware of.
After a couple of hours reading, listening, and sharing ideas, my friends left me with many thoughts for sharpening my writing skills. I can hardly wait for those Cozy Critiquers to appear at my door again.
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