CREEPED out by a Critique Group? Try out @CritiqueCircle! #Wwow

Wednesday's Writing Tip is short and sweet writing advice. Grab your cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy!

Creepy? No! 

Cat's meow? Yes! 

You need a critique group or a critique partner!

 I cannot stress enough how important my writing partners have been. Here I am to share my experience and suggest the best critique group on the web, Critique Circle.

When I began to write Time Changes Everything, I decided that it would be a good idea to find a critique partner. Since I live in a Spanish-speaking country, it was impossible to find a support group here. I needed serious writers who could speak English and who were willing to help. So, I did a little research and found the website Critique Circle, and boy were these ladies and gentlemen a helpful group! 

I'm so glad I discovered this site. I have learned so much from the people I interact with. The biggest advantage to this critique
 group is the amount of people involved. You will inevitably find other writers just like you, with similar writing genres and a wealth of experience. 

Overall, here are the reasons why I love this place:

1) It's free! (Of course, there is a PRO version, which I pay for, but it isn't necessary) and easy to sign up.

2) You can focus on your genre of writing. Mine happens to be romance.

3) There are forums to discuss anything you wish. Most of it has to do with writing, but other times it can be off-topic.

4) A whole bunch of tools such as Storyboards, Outlining Templates, Name Generator, Submission Tacker and more!

5) The friendships I have made. Although I put this as fifth, I have to say this is actually the main reason I love Critique Circle. It's wonderful to live through the writing process with all my buddies. They are there to motivate me, inspire me, and to help me improve (with no hard feelings, either!) We share in our successes and mourn with our rejections. There's nothing better than seeing one of your partners publish a book! Although I haven't met any of my partners face-to-face, I can call them friends. They are valuable and a part of my writing life. 

So, my Wednesday advice to you is to find a critique partner, a local critique group, or one online. I know there are other groups online, but Critique Circle is a good way to go. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to check out other #Wwow authors:

Paloma Beck: http://romancebeckons.blogspot.com/search/label/WoW

Tammy Dennings Maggy http://tammydenningsmaggy.blogspot.com

Jessicca Collins: http://thatsexactlywrite.blogspot.com

Melinda

Tools for Writing - Software Organization Tip

Wednesday Writing Tip

Have you ever felt like the picture above? I sure have! In fact it's almost a daily occurence. I am what writer's call - a PANSTER - actually a half-way panster, if that exists. Most of my ideas are in my head and stay there until I get a scene out on paper. As I get older, there's only so much my head can carry. This summer I had a breakdown and decided I needed a panster-friendly writing program to help me stay focused and motivated to write. Here is what I found!

A writer's software program .... I mean, can it get better than that? A program geared for someone like me... an author... who is a mess at times.... who needs to oragnize characters, thoughts, scenes, research, pictures, lists, and you name it! Writeway Pro Writing Software is the software I found suitable for me.

I went from this:

These are my character notes for Frequent Flyer

To this:

My heroine notes - She looks better, doesn't she?

The notebook was not doing it for me. I always kept it by the bed (and to be honest it's still there for emergency brainstorming), but what if an idea came to me as I worked on the computer? No time to search down my notebook. A computer is a much easier way to keep my ideas, scenes, descriptions all huddled together in one ORGANIZED place. Another downside of the notebook was the way I organized everything. I had a characters section, then a chapters section, then research section, then favorite lines section. But somehow they always intermingled and my sections turned into a section. Not good.

Some of the great features that help me organize my panster mind are:

Storyboard

Word Count Report

I could go on and on, and since I'm not a salesperson for Writeway, I won't. 

The point is... a writer should find the system that works for them. 

I hear other writers swear by Scrivener. I checked into it and it did look great. However, for me it was more overwhelming. I just wanted a program that was simple and close to a normal WORD program. Writeway worked for me.

So, my writer's advice to you is to find a way to organize yourself. It makes a world of difference! I am 75% through my newest WIP and I know I wouldn't be as far along if I didn't invest in this program.

You, too, can finally look like this:

WoW is a Smart & Savvy Group of Authors who write this weekly feature for their blog each Wednesday. While we don't claim to be experts, the goal is to impart what we've learned about writing, editing, getting published, book promotion, and more along the way. 

Follow along and read all this week's contributors' posts. 

Paloma Beck

Jessicca Collins

Tammy Dennings Maggy

You can follow us on twitter at #WoW.

Or find us on facebook at Words of Wisdom.

We also welcome more authors participation. Sign up is through our facebook page.

Happy writing and thanks for stopping by,

Melinda