Writing good material is often hard enough, but it’s nearly impossible to do without having someone give you feedback.  I remember when I queried my first novel how excited I was.  Looking back, my excitement then doesn’t rank nearly as high as my mortification now. I didn’t know anything about writing query letters.  I didn’t know anything about the near necessity of critique partners.  The truth of the matter is that I count myself fortunate I had the sense to shanghai my absolutely phenomenal beta reader.  Her job never included critiquing my query letter or synopsis.

How do you find a good critique partner?  There are a few things you can do such as visit your local library, talk to customer service representatives at your local bookstores, browse Meet Up, or call and speak to your local paper’s Arts & Entertainment columnist(s).  Once you’ve connected, there are a few things you should look for in a critique partner, or CP.  This is by no means a hard and fast list, but it’s a good place to start.  CPs might be well matched if they:

1.  Write in similar genres.  This doesn’t mean you both need to write urban fantasy or romantic suspense.  It means you should both write genre fiction versus one of you writing horror and the other writing intense literary fiction.  A well-matched CP pairing will return the best dividends to the writers involved.

2.  Have different skills sets.  Each CP should be able to encourage and help develop their partner by bringing to the table a different set of skills than what their partner already possesses.  One might be incredibly strong at plotting where the other is a total pantser in need of some basic plotting skills.  One might be good with strong verbs while the other is gifted at tightening a story until the characters almost protest.

3.  Possess similar tolerances for critiques.  It’s all fine and good to be able to encourage each other.  A first draft is a place for pom poms and loud cheers.  But when it gets down to rolling the sleeves up, a CP should deliver the same type of critique as they are willing to accept.  If you need someone to cheer for your story, have your wife, husband, mother or best friend read it.  If you need someone to tell you (kindly) what sucks?  Count on your CP.

4.  Be closely matched in their drive.  Critique partners must have similar professional or personal writing goals.  If one person is pulling hard for publication while the other can’t decide whether the story they intend to start writing next week should have a main character named Charles or Charlie, the pair is mismatched.  A well-matched pair will help motivate each other to do more and to do it better.  A poorly matched pair will just end up pissing each other off.

5.  Be similarly matched in their development.  Nothing would be worse than having a New York Times Bestselling author paired with a novice writer.  The two are at such different places in their writing careers that resentment would quickly build on each party’s part that a good mentoring opportunity would be lost and potential friendship destroyed.  You need to find someone who is at nearly the same place in their development, meaning if you’re both starting out, you’re primed to learn together.  If you’re both seasoned?  Take a little time to discuss what you need from each other.

Here’s hoping you’re as fortunate in finding your critique partner as I’ve been in finding mine.  May we both find the New York Times Bestsellers’ list in good time.  Just know that if you go first, Tibster, the parakeet will fall, baby.  Oh yeah.  The parakeet’s goin’ down.