Seeking Writing Buddies

[Victoria Wy]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to find a kindred spirit or two (or three or more, if that’s in the cards) to form an accountability/support group for this insane process of writing and querying—somewhere we can swap drafts, cheer each other on, and offer constructive feedback. Right now, I’m available to critique only a few pages at a time. I’m currently in the querying trenches, and it’s no joke.

A little about me: I’m a member of the AAPI community. I write commercial MG fantasies and will soon be starting a romantic comedy project. Some of my favorite children’s books are Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, E.B. White’s books, and Roald Dahl. I’ve also dabbled in webtoons, manga, and k-dramas, and I love Pixar and Disney films. Some of my future projects may also explore visual storytelling in addition to writing.

I think it can be really helpful to critique projects in genres or formats different from what we currently write so I’m looking to connect with people writing in different genres.

As for experience, I’m three books and about 15 years (depending on how you count) into my writing journey, and I’d like to meet people with a similar timeline or a serious pursuit of the craft.

I would describe my critiquing style as fair and constructive. It helps me to have communication on what kind of feedback is wanted, and I tend to do best with gentle, encouraging critique that points out strengths alongside areas to improve. I’m currently happy to swap a few pages at a time. I’m not quite in the headspace for full projects yet, but that might change in the future. I’m always open-minded and learning along the way. I do not read work with extremely strong graphic violence or abuse, military stories set in Vietnam or in that vein, or work that contains misogyny, racism, or other disrespectful content.

Ideally, I’d like to connect in a constructive, inclusive, and thoughtful environment. If this sounds interesting to you, send me a message so we can chat, see if we click, and maybe exchange a few sample pages.

[Aura Ora]

Hello Victoria,

What you've described sounds like the kind of set up I'm down for. I'm also on the hunt for writing friends/community where the goal is to support and cheer each other on. I'm in the throes of writing my novel so I'm not looking for feedback, especially extensive ones (they tend to slow me down, I'm starting to find). So I'd rather have a first draft, do all the edits I can possibly do on my own before soliciting critique from other people on it. Like you, I can only critique a few pages at a time for now. I have a full time job and the free time I have is dedicated to freelancing or writing my book. We also mesh well in the kind of critique style we give and are looking for!

I am a Black African author and I write mostly adult speculative fiction. My reading taste is eclectic so I have no problem reading MG fantasy and have read quite a few of them. I really like the Nevermoor series for instance, and loved Ella Enchanted too. I read webtoons, manga (current obsession is Dandadan) and love K-dramas. My WIP was even inspired by Doom At Your Service. I also want to explore other mediums of storytelling when I have the chance to; video games, comics, etc.

For my experience, I have been working as an editor for 5 years and have been writing for much longer. I used to be represented by an agent, and my goal is to be traditionally published. I was uncertain sending a message because of your caveat about not reading work with extremely strong graphic violence as my work does contain darker themes like graphic violence, body horror, and suicide (nothing on page; the character just deals with suicidal ideation).

If you'd like to see the work first to make up your mind, we can swap a few sample pages and exchange critiques to see how we gel. Looking forward to hearing from you! Have a good day.