The shift in my writing group's feedback quality over just 6 months

I joined a local writing group last January and the first 3 months were all compliments and "good job" comments on everyone's prompts. Then a new member joined who actually gave real critique, and now half the group writes way better but the other half got defensive and left. Has anyone else seen a writing group totally change like that after one new person showed up?

2 comments

2 Comments

laura_black311mo ago

Have you seen how defensive some folks get when they realize "good job" isn't actually helping them improve? I've been in three critique groups over the years and watched the same thing play out every time. The ones who stay and adapt end up writing so much better within a year, while the ones who leave usually stall out or quit altogether. Best thing you can do is set clear expectations upfront about what kind of feedback the group wants, and have a gentle way to ask new members to match the tone. Some people just aren't ready for real critique, and that's okay, but it does change the whole group dynamic fast.

josephl671mo ago

Wow, three critique groups and you saw the exact same pattern every time? That's wild. I've only been in one group that fell apart over this, but watching it happen three times must be exhausting. It's like clockwork though... the people who can't handle hearing their baby is ugly, they just disappear. Meanwhile the ones who stick around and actually listen, they're the ones writing circles around everyone else a year later. I think setting those expectations early is key, but even then some folks still can't take honest feedback without taking it personal. It's a shame really, because they're the ones who end up quitting writing altogether, not just the group.