I used to have this little crit group that I ran…
But during one of my really low energy phases I decided I couldn't run it any more, and without me keeping it alive, it fell apart.
I've tried a few other ways of getting feedback since then, but each novel I have put up for RFDR at critters.org has gotten less of a response than the one before. I got kicked out of a face-to-face crit group for not making meetings (and for saying that I had no interest whatsoever in group “writing exercises”), and frankly, with my current health levels I suspect that most traditional style crit groups would be more than I can handle.
I think what I would really like would be about four other novelists who are willing to commit to reading and commenting on any novel I finish, in return for me committing to reading and commenting on theirs.
I should have no trouble commenting on about four books a year… but only if I said I would in advance. Otherwise, I have a terrible tendency of going “well, I'm really rather busy right at the moment…” And then the next time I have a book that needs reading, I feel too guilty about not having critted anyone else to even ask for crits. Thus my need for a more formal arrangement. 🙁
Is there anyone out there who might be interested?
I write light sf and fantasy adventure-intrigue-mystery-romances, (not always all of that in the same book, but surprisingly often,) and I read anything that isn't very dark/gritty, intended to be horrific, or overly erotic.
And, as a final note, I might get so sick that I just can't crit — I'm hoping not, but it has happened in the past. In the interest of me getting the feedback he knows I need, my husband has said that if this happens he would be willing to fill in for me. He's not a writer, but he has a BA in English, for whatever that is worth.
Cross-posted to rec.arts.sf.compostion