Finding a Critique Partner

You’re in the middle of writing your story. Or maybe you’re on your second or third draft of your pesky WIP. Now you’re asking yourself what is your story missing. Maybe you’re even asking yourself if you should keep going. That’s where a critique partner comes into the picture.

Finding yourself in a difficult situation when you’re writing is completely natural. Writing is hard. Editing is hard. But you don’t have to do it alone. Everyone says that writing is a solitary craft, but why not let people in to help?

I was lucky when I found my critique partner. We actually were coworkers for a long time before either of us realized that we were both writers. It’s been a little over a year since we’ve started helping each other, but the motivation and support has gotten me through some very hard writing times.

What is a Critique Partner?

A critique partner is someone that helps you throughout your writing journey. They are usually a friend or someone that writes in the same genre. You can bounce ideas off each other. You can also motivate each other to keep going on your hardest days.

Critique Partner Qualifications

Find a friend or family member

This friend should also be a writer or love reading. You already have a bond with this person so supporting each other through the writing process shouldn’t hurt your friendship. But remember there can be bias so choose someone that will be honest with you about your work.

If you don’t have any friends that are writers or understand your craft then you’re going to have to find someone outside of your friend group that will help.

Writes in your genre

Find someone that understands the genre you’re writing. Their feedback will be beneficial as they will understand what it takes to write within that genre.

Able to be a friend

You’re going to be spending a lot of time talking to this person so it should be someone that you get along with. You wouldn’t trust a random stranger with your work so don’t let your critique partner be that stranger.

Two Way Friendship

A critique partner is a special type of friendship built between two people who enjoy writing. Make sure you’re both getting something out of the partnership. It could be anything from advice to reviewing a chapter or whole manuscript. Remember it is a partnership so you both have to do things for each other. It doesn’t have to be all the time as we all work at our own pace.

What to Ask A Potential Critique Partner?

It’s pretty simple with a friend or family member because the bond and trust is already there. But if you are in search of someone it could be a bit more difficult.

To start, you’ll want to ask the potential critique partner if they will help you with a specific aspect of your project. See how it goes if they say yes. If it goes well, continue asking for assistance. Not only will you see how well that person sees your ideas but you will build a connection throughout the process.

Also, make sure to offer your own assistance to them as well. You don’t want to come off as taking advantage of their generosity.

Where to Find A Critique Partner?

Now that you know what you’re looking for in a critique partner, it’s time to find someone that meets your qualifications. But where do you start your search?

Social Media

Do you have a writing platform on any social media channels? Why not start by looking through your friends list there? Find people that you interact with a lot and see if they meet your qualifications. If they do, go ahead and ask if they’re willing to assist you with your project.

Facebook Groups

There are plenty of Facebook Groups out there that are aimed to help writers come together. My personal favorite group is the Beta Readers and Critique Partners group. It is an active group that definitely helps out. I’ve only used it to find beta readers, but I see a lot of people reaching out for critique partners. There are other Facebook Groups you can involve yourself with by just searching for critique partners and finding the one that fits what you’re looking for.

Local Writing Groups

Depending on your location, there may be a writing group in your town. Usually they are held at a local bookstore or library. It’s always a good idea when you can find someone that you can meet with in person to talk feedback about your projects.

With all of this information, I hope you’re able to find someone that makes a good critique partner for you. Remember you want a critique partner to be your friend but also be critical of your work so that you can better your writing skills.