COSCBWI Meeting June 2016

 

The COSCBWI June meeting in Columbus featured a group critique.  COSCBWI holds critique sessions for members a few times a year since they are such an important way for writers and illustrators to get feedback on their work.  Pieces are critiqued in a constructive and friendly environment, allowing members to share their work with confidence.

 

For this critique meeting, the format was switched up a bit.  Instead of one person at a time sharing their work with the entire group, members were divided into smaller clusters.  This allowed more time to be spent on each individual critique AND made it so that more members could share their work overall.  Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun with the new format, and it was great to become better acquainted with other local writers and illustrators in a more intimate setting. 

 

Some tips were brought up to help everyone including:

 

-Remember that your work needs to stand on its own.  When your manuscript or portfolio is in the hands of agents and editors, you won't be able to explain or justify yourself.  Critiques are a great way to discover what points may be confusing and how to strengthen your concept so that your work is crystal clear when you send it out into the world.

 

-Listening to critiques of other people's work is just as helpful as receiving feedback for your own manuscript or illustration.  You never know what you'll learn that can be applied to your own project, and it feels great to bond with fellow writers/illustrators who are in the same boat as you.

 

-Don't get discouraged!  No one gets it right the first time, and even the most famous writers and illustrators still deal with frustrating drafts and disheartening rejections.  Read, read, read; revise, revise, revise; then repeat.  It's a lot of hard work, but great things come to those who don't give up.

 

A big thank you to everyone who shared their work AND everyone who provided feedback for the group critique!  If you want to learn more about COSCBWI, be sure to visit the group website at http://ohiocensouth.scbwi.org.  I hope to see you at the next meeting!