Being Brave only happens when you're scared.

[gement]

The mind is not always sensible. All true fear is, at its heart, the fear of death. May I show you something? -- Aldo, which is to say, me.[1]

Clarification: The following is not intended as a slight to my wonderful current readers. If anything, I am attempting to take an undue and unreciprocated burden off them so they can just enjoy reading it and talk to me about themes.

I need to find a critique group. I am not sure what that will look like. It might be a fan-based group that specializes in naughty slash. It might be a romance writer's group. The basic requirements are:

1) Has members who have experience with fixing and smoothing dumb persistent writing problems and can suggest fixes. (Specifically, won't just give me a thumbs up, but won't just tell me "it's wrong. Fix it somehow.")
2) Will not lynch me for writing the kink and the gay sex.
3) Will not lynch me for writing something that is not commercially publishable or doesn't necessarily fit into a tidy genre box or isn't perfectly historically accurate.
4) Will not lynch me for not having previous experience with critiquing the work of others.
5) Will not lynch me.

I'd prefer a group that meets at least occasionally in person in the Seattle area, and I'd very much like a group with at least one biomale in it who can call me on girls-writing-boys problems, but those are negotiable points.

Does anyone have any suggestions on either specific groups or places to look for groups? I've had a suggestion for Hugo House and for the No Safewords group, and I wondered if anyone had experience with either to tell me if I will get what I need in either place.

[1] For those of you who have read the relevant passage, I would pay a great deal for that kind of life coaching. A very great deal.

Comments

[grum]

Would you like me to ping a writer friend from home? She's very vanilla, but I suspect was on darker writing-sharing sites and may have some suggestions. Although those were all online only and spread out all around the country.

[gement.livejournal.com]

Yes, please. I intend to look into a number of options, and as I am wikitastic, a local group is only a preference for face-interaction reasons.

[airlinepilot.livejournal.com]

Can't help with the critique group, but I do know a Life Coach in Seattle. Let me know if you want his contact info.

[gement.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how actual life coaches work, but I'm pretty sure they're not usually like the passage in question. ;-) If they are, the Pro-Domme racket has some competition.

Come to think of it, looking into what real life coaches do might be a good idea. Please do send it along. Thank you.

[airlinepilot.livejournal.com]

I'm not familiar with the passage, so I was just going on the "Life Coach" phrase. :)

Anyways, Michael Coffee is a former college chum of mine, and his business is Ardea Coaching. Feel free to drop my name when you talk to him. :)

Michael J. Coffey, Certified Professional Coach
PO Box 23221, Seattle, WA 98105
206-522-6224 (206-52-COACH)
michaelc@ardeacoaching.com

[ladyallyn.livejournal.com]

I'd be happy to, and will not lynch you under any terms. latheos who has a significant writing/editorial background is happy to oblige as your biomale resource. With your permission I'll forward this to a couple of friends of mine who write similarly in genre and have some published work and awards between them.

((many hugs)) glad you're writing!!!

[gement.livejournal.com]

Please do forward me on. Have you writing that you would like reciprocal editing on? If so, we should talk turkey about how to swap stuff. Otherwise, I can simply give you a wiki login.

Sorry I've been unresponsive. Not a lot of outgoing energy lately. I've kind of turned my writing into my social life, which hasn't been very effective as a lifestyle choice.

Edit: This link from Writer2Writer says critique groups work best when you form them yourself from 3-5 like-minded writers. Do those friends of yours want to play? Do you?

I'm very new at this.

[hesperide.livejournal.com]

Hey Dolly... sent Ravensanctuary info for you on the kink writers group (NSWG) from my Pro-D Email account. I don't know how the current participants are to work with, but that group was pretty good for me when I was going regularly.

SMOOOOOOOOOOOSH!

[cow.livejournal.com]

I have absolutely no ideas, but goodness, if you find a group like that let me know. (Not so useful if it -is- in person, but.)

[maribou]

While I'm very happy that you are seeking out a critique group, I hope you don't really think this:
I am attempting to take an undue and unreciprocated burden off them

Because, you know, if you did think it, you'd be WRONG.