PSA: Don't let your creative writing group turn into a roast session

I was at a writers meetup last Tuesday at the downtown library and this guy named Mike tore into someone's opening paragraph about a haunted diner. He was laughing and saying the description sounded like a five year old wrote it. I felt bad for the girl who wrote it, she looked like she wanted to leave. The facilitator just sat there and let it happen. That night I started running my own critique sessions with a simple rule: no tearing people down. We do a round where everyone says one thing that worked before we even talk about fixes. It's been three months and the stories people bring in are way better now because nobody is scared to share. Has anyone else had a bad experience with a critique group that made you rethink how to give feedback?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_mary24d ago

That positive-first rule is genius, it really changes the whole energy of the room.

violar3524d ago

Wish more people applied that to road rage too.

kelly38524d ago

Wait, the facilitator just sat there and let Mike humiliate someone like that? That's wild to me. I would have lost my mind if I saw that happen in a group I was running. You're telling me nobody stepped in to shut Mike down or check on the girl afterwards? I can't believe people pay money or give up their evenings for that kind of negativity. Your positive-first rule sounds like the only way to keep a group from turning toxic. I'm honestly shocked that more groups don't have a basic "don't be a jerk" rule written down somewhere.