Put the Spurs to It!

No, I'm not referring to my own butt, though maybe I should be. I still have a chapter to write today. But first, the spurring ...

"Continue to spur one another on to love and good works." It's the theme verse for my critique group, a fantastic group of gals who gather, about once a month, to point out what works and what doesn't work in each other's writing.

But it's also so much more. The dramas we witness are not just in our stories. We pray together, emote together, and walk together through some real life stuff that, at times, makes our character's lives seem rather boring. We also laugh together. A lot.

Writing is hard, lonely work. The solidarity and encouragement of a critique group is a beautiful thing. If you're a writer and you don't have a team of your own, I spur you on to find one.

Gigi Rosenthal gives a good picture of what she looks for in a constructive critique group at http://www.writersdigest.com/article/how-to-choose-a-critique-club/. For the method-to-the-madness, see Allen Cox's http://www.ehow.com/how_2091080_start-writers-critique-group.html. We spend a great deal more on each other's writing the five-minute overview he mentions, but each group will find its own personality.

In the interest of spurring-on, here's my team, the Redeemed Writer's Critique Group.

Christina Berry http://authorchristinaberry.blogspot.com/
Recently released her first novel, The Familiar Stranger, to rave reviews. She'll be stopping in here on her blog tour next month.

Kristen Johnson http://adventuresofhistorygirl.blogspot.com/
The youngest member of our group, but by no means the least. She writes historical fiction ... "grift," "clink," and "tares." Can you guess her era?

Sherrie Ashcraft http://www.sherrieashcraft.blogspot.com/
She co-wrote a novel with her daughter, Christina. It's sitting on a very-interested editor's desk as we speak. A funny lady with a gift for devotional-style writing. Read her blog and see.

Angella Foret Diehl http://angellaforet.com/
Oregonian writer, teacher, speaker, webmaster, novelist. I could go on and on ...

Debbie McMillan Blog under construction.
Debbie and I were the founding members of this God-inspired group that has grown and changed so much the past seven years. She is working on a series of young adult fiction set in the Deaf culture.

Keep writing, ladies. The journey has only just begun.