The fearful power of the ListServ, or be careful what you wish for: Emily Wade and the crit group avalanche
by Charlie Barshaw
It started like this, a post on the SCBWI-MI ListServ on Monday, January 16, 2023 at 9:20 pm:
Hi, friends! I've been hoping to start a picture book critique group, and I'd love to invite some of you talented writers to join if you're interested. I'm pre-published and in the process of querying, but I'd love to get (and give!) solid feedback and accountability on a regular basis. Surely I'm not alone in this. :) I'm thinking of meeting virtually once a month and in person every three months to start with.
I'm in Waterford, near Pontiac and Auburn Hills, but we could choose a place to meet based on where all critique group members hail from. Also, outliers are free to facetime in on an in-person meeting if that works better.
Once I hear back from a few of you, I'll set up a smaller email group so we can figure out the details. Thanks so much!
Emily Zaiser Wade
By Saturday, January 25, 9 days later, she had 22 responses, and had divided the 5 or 6 members into 4 groups: Online-only, North-ish, Southeast and Southwest.
Hello again, ladies!
I’m so excited to see how many of us are interested in helpful feedback this year. I know many good things will come from these groups, and I can’t wait to hear more about it in upcoming emails, conferences, and bookstores! J
After planning and dividing, I’ve grouped everyone into groups of 5 or 6 by region(ish). We’re spread pretty far apart, so that’s a big -ish. I’ve asked the person at the top of each list to get their group’s email started, and you can discuss how to proceed from there.
Best of luck to you all as you continue on this picture book journey together!
~Emily Zaiser Wade
What follows is a short interview with the Critique Group Summoner, Emily Wade.
Why were you
searching for a new critique group anyway?
Well, the only critique I’ve received until recently
was from a few literary friends who didn’t exactly sign up for the job. I
pestered them as often as I dared, but I knew I needed to find a core group of
likeminded writers who knew good and well what they were getting into.
 |
| Emily Wade |
Had you been
in a critique group previously?
I’m not new to writing, but I’m pretty new to SCBWI
and the querying game. The only official critique group I’d been part of before
this was a single meeting with my Metro Detroit Shoptalk group. It was super
helpful, but they offer so many other events that the critique portion only
happens twice a year.
What made
you think to ask on the ListServ? (And why is Listserv spelled like that
anyway?)
Actually, it was some friends from my Shop Talk who
suggested looking for a regular critique group on ListServ. I followed their
advice and hoped to hear back from a couple of takers. And funny you should ask
about the name. Until recently, I actually thought it was LITserv because, you
know, literature. I propose a name change.
 |
| Southwest Critique Group |
It seemed
like the initial reaction was robust. Were you thinking, “Wow, two hours and I’ve
already got enough people for the critique group I wanted”?
Robust indeed. It was a relief to get the first few
emails for two reasons: it was great to know I’d get to be part of a critique
group, and it was comforting to see that there were others looking for the same
thing.
 |
| Some of the On-line Critique Group |
And then the
replies kept coming. At what point did you think you’d unleashed a monster?
Probably around email number 10. I’d read that the
most effective groups are between 4 and 6 people, but I’m nearly incapable of turning
people away. I thought I might have gotten myself into a bit of a pickle.
You got,
what, more than a dozen responses? Before you decided on your ultimate
solution, did you consider others?
Believe it or not, I got 22 responses from LITserv (#productplacement).
When we blew past single-group capacity, I figured that organizing by location made
the most sense. Unfortunately, I’m geographically-challenged, so grouping by
area took me quite a while.
And then,
finally, the responses quit pouring in. Did it take a spreadsheet to sort out
the possibilities?
While I do love me a good spreadsheet, I just used a
Word document with several bulleted lists. I felt like the Hogwarts sorting hat
except I decided based on location instead of character. Also, I didn’t sing.
You put
yourself in a group that’s already met in person. How did the first meeting go?
 |
| North-ish Critique Group |
It was lovely! Our first meeting was at my house, and
it was a simple get-to-know-you hangout. I think it’s important to trust the
people who’ll be helping you kill (and revitalize) your darlings, so I’m glad
we got to spend that time together. Our first online critique session was so
helpful that I’m already looking forward to next time.
What are you
working on writing right now?
I’ve got my irons in a couple different fires, as I’m
sure we all do. I’m querying a poem about playing outside and a funny STEM
story about weather and climate. I’m also tweaking a silly poem about picture
day and beginning a prose story based on my family’s experience making jam. There’s
sure to be a gem in there somewhere, right?
Thanks so much for the questions, Charlie, and thank
you, LITserv, for your interest in critique groups!
So, how are those critique groups faring? Feedback about feedback
by Emily Zaiser Wade
Charlie delegated the second half of the interview to me, and I'm glad he did. It gave me the chance to touch base with the other groups and see how they're doing. I asked two questions, and the people have spoken: they're doing great!
 |
| Kelly |
Question
numero uno: Were most of you actively looking for a critique group, or did you
see the email and think, “More critique? Sure, why not?”Kelly Bixby from the online group said, “No, I wasn’t
actively looking for a critique group, but the timing of Emily’s email was
perfect for me. I had recently finished my first picture book manuscript and
pushed it through tests I had gleaned from the revised and expanded edition of
Ann Whitford Paul’s book, Writing Picture
Books: A Hands-on Guide from Story Creation to Publication. My MS had been
tweaked enough that it was ready for eyes other than mine. Emily motivated me
to take the next steps of getting to know other writers and becoming a more
active part of the SCBWI community. Thanks, Emily!”
Jessine Van Lopik from the southwest group said, “I
was already a member of two critique groups, but as a pre-published author, I
still crave as much critique as I can get for my manuscripts. I devour feedback like a monster, starving
for improvement.”
 |
| Katy |
Katy Klimczuk from the southeast group said, “Our
group is planning to meet both in Royal Oak and online. I think that most of us
were open to the idea of a critique group, and it came at the right time for
us. We are all in a place where we would like more feedback and accountability.”Question deux:
What was the highlight of your first meeting?
Kelly Bixby
said, “Our group meets on Zoom, so my highlights of the first meeting were
getting to see the faces and workplaces of the other writers, experiencing
their kind and considerate personalities, and recognizing that each of us is
passionate for connecting with children and youth through imaginative and
empathetic ways.”
 |
| Jessine |
Jessine Van
Lopik said, “We've only
communicated through e-mail and Google Drive so far, but I'm grateful for a
group of writers in my area with a focus on picture books. Everyone in the group also takes care to
cultivate their critiques with kindness, while also giving really helpful
advice.”Katy
Klimczuk said, “It was wonderful to meet everyone and to see how each person
shines through in their work. Two of us brought recently indie published works
and it was fun to share them, ask each other questions, and get opinions as we
enter uncharted territory.”
Thanks so much for your feedback, ladies! Every writer knows
the value of a solid critique group, and it’s exciting to hear how the LITserv
has been a meeting place for just that. Keep up the good work!
Big Request:
I'm writing an historical recap of past conferences, back to when I started in 2009 and even before.
There seems to be a dearth of official photos. Like our family, seems like SCBWI-MI forgot to take pictures, they were having so much fun.
But I know individuals have taken amazing photos over the years. (Thanks to Dave Stricklen, who showered me with excellent photos from the past decade.)
Anyone want to volunteer their private collection for a time capsule? You'll be acknowledged for your contribution, and held in high esteem.
Emily Zaiser Wade loves stories and dessert. She hopes to create stories that are as good as her (nearly) world-famous coconut cream pie. If kids read her books as often as she eats treats, the world will be a better place. If you want to read more by Emily, check out her blog:
pastwatchfuldragons.com. If you want to read fewer dessert analogies by Emily, that's understandable.
Charlie Barshaw interviews SCBWI-MI writers for The Mitten, and meets monthly with the Lansing Area Shop Talk. He travels to school visits with his wife, author/illustrator Ruth McNally Barshaw. He's got four MGs/YAs in various stages of completion.
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