Well, OK, it's been awhile since I've posted anything, but things have been happening in my little world.  In October, Nationwide Insurance announced a big shake up.  While it didn't effect my department, it did effect my wife's, who's an underwriter for the state of New York.  The company decided that she could do her job better in Harrsiburg, PA.  She had three months to decide whether she was going or not.

We were assured that the "trailing spouses" working for Nationwide would be considered first for any positions in Harrisburg.  Since she already made double what I did, the decision, while difficult, was inevitable.

Naturally, I applied for all the job postiings in Harrsiburg.  Toward the end of December, Nationwide announced that most of the Harrisburg positions were being moved to Ohio, and the jobs for which I interviewed were given to other people.

I guess I shouldn't have believed everything I read in the funny papers.

So, I ended up in Harrisburg away from my family (except for my wife), my friends and my critique group.  This, of course, had a debilitating effect on my writing, including blogging.  I've had trouble getting back into the story.

I was offered a job with Highmark at a slightly higher salary, which starts on May 12.  So, things are starting to look up.  I've even begun writing again.  It's slow, but I am making progress. 

On Monday, September 3, my critique group met to discuss a chapter from Call of the Unicorn. The biggest advantage to a critique group is that one gets feedback on how his story is being perceived by people who don’t have a personal interest in the story. The author can take the comments home and fix the weak areas.

This sounds great in theory, but I gotta tell ya it can still be traumatic.

One of the things we did at the Writers Retreat was have a night owl session during which different people would discuss their stories. We would all then brain storm the story to give the author ideas to work with. One writer told about her critique group in which she was the main contributor to the group. In addition, one of the members was very critical of the writer’s stories, but rarely submitted anything herself. The writer made an interesting remark, “I feel like I’m the one always on the chopping block.”

I understood how she felt. We spend days, weeks, and sometimes months polishing our submission. When someone comes along and points out what she perceives as mistakes, it can feel like your writing is worthless and you shouldn’t even be trying.

Many of those critiques come from the know-it-alls. “A person wouldn’t act that way,” they’ll tell me. “People in that city think like this.” “The police don’t do that.”

They also throw “rules” at me. “Show; don’t tell.” “Don’t be repetitive,” even when the story calls for it. I think the worst, though, are the line editors. These are the ones who will cross out words and write over them, “Delete.” Or, “Unnecessary.” To me, these sound like orders, as though the person critique wants me to know, "I know how to write, and you don't."  It got so bad with one person, that it felt as though he were looking over my shoulder while I was trying to write. I would hear his voice criticizing every sentence.

After awhile, I figured out how to silence him in my head. A couple of days after the meeting, I would take out his critique and critique it! A couple of sessions later, I could write without his voice whispering in my ear.

A critique group can be beneficial. It can give you ideas to consider that you may have overlooked. The thing to remember, though, is that a critique is only someone’s opinion. I always recommend a writer to critique the critique, even if I’m the one who’s giving it. I find it helps me maintain the focus of my own vision of the story. It also gives me a chance to call them dirty names on the page. After all, the one who critiqued my story will never see my criticisms of their criticisms.

In the end, I would recommend a writer joining a critique group. Keep in mind, though, that not all critique groups are created equal. If you find that the group is over-critical or, conversely, is simply rubber stamping their approval, you can always find another group better suited to your needs.

This weekend was the Columbus Writers Conference. It's a two-day conference geared to all kinds of writers, from fiction to non-fiction. It's a great place for networking and making friends in the literary world.

The conference is organized by Angela Palazzolo and is held on the last full weekend before Labor Day.  The website is www.creativevista.com.

While there I discovered the importance of reading. The conference had a publisher's round table in the the auditorium. When the discussion was over, everyone filed out and the first thing they did was to head to the restrooms which were just outside the auditorium door. Rather than wait for the crowds, I hurried to the other end of building. I went in and found a stall.

I noticed, next to the toilet, a white container. When I opened it, I saw a waxed paper bag. I thought it odd that there was a waste basket in the stall. Anyway, I pulled my pants down and sat on the toilet. I looked at the floor and noticed in the next stall a bald foot wearing a spaghetti-strap sandal and painted toenails. It occurred to me, then, what the "wastebasket" was for!

"Crap, I have to get out of here."

No sooner had that thought passed through my head than the stall door started to open, and I could see a line of women lining up to use the restroom.

I slammed the door shut, pushing on it to make sure it jammed itself shut. I stood up and got my pants up to my knees and the door swung open again. I slammed it shut once more, bracing it with my leg. After I fastened my pants, I stepped out of the stall.

"I guess it pays to read the doors on the signs," I said, my fluster causing me to mix my words.

The women were now snickering. I think the only reason they didn't point and laugh because it was too cramped.

The next time, I'll double check the sign.

I finally have a website where I will keep any fans up-to-date on what's going on in my life, especially with my writing.