The Shoe Metaphor

A few days ago, someone asked me the following question:

"Do you think I'm ready for a critique partner?"

The answer is yes. The answer to that question is ALWAYS yes.


 


Whether you've just finished your first book during NaNoWriMo, or completed intense revisions on your eighteenth novel, there is never a time in your progression as a writer when an outside opinion doesn't have the potential to be life-changing.

That's not to say that every outside opinion WILL be. I once had someone do a content edit of my full manuscript in which they questioned every single simile. "You say she's like a duck here, but she's not REALLY a duck, so I found this confusing."

Yeah. That happened.

Trading material with potential critique partners is a lot like trying on shoes. Just because the info on the box looks good, doesn't mean the shoe inside is going to fit you perfectly. BUT, just because one pair doesn't fit, doesn't mean something super shiny and lovely isn't waiting in the next box.


 


Write Type is like a shoe store, and our boxes will have convenient little windows in them so you can peek at what's inside. But you can't really KNOW if a critique partnership will work until you try it out. 

As to the question that prompted this post, PLEASE. Please don't believe that nasty little voice in your head telling you that you don't deserve shoes. That voice is a moron. EVERYONE deserves shoes. And finding the right ones can take you and your story amazing places.

If you're like me, one of your very favorite parts of working with a critique partner will be those moments when you realize YOU are another writer's favorite pair of shoes. It's true. That happens. YOU can be the one who's comfortable and supportive enough to help someone keep going, no matter how rough the road gets.

I will keep saying this until I am blue in the face: We don't have to make this journey alone. Writing is NOT a solitary profession anymore.

Whether you're looking to trade beta reads, line edits, or find the critique partner equivalent of a BFF, give Write Type a try. You might be exactly the pair of shoes someone needs to get where they need to go. And if you don't find a pair of shoes that's a good match for you, you'll at least come out of the experience with some new writerly connections, and a more detailed "shopping list" of exactly what you're looking for in a critique partner.

It helps to know what your perfect shoe MIGHT look like. Makes it easier to spot in the crowd. ;)

As you wait for Write Type to launch, give some thought to what you're looking for in a critique partner, and what kind of critique partner you'd like to be in return. New to the world of critique partnering? Wondering how it all works? We'll be writing a post on that soon. In the meantime, we would LOVE to hear your questions/concerns in the comment section below. 

Happy shopping to you!