Victoria Writers Society General Meetings
General meetings with guest speakers are held at the Esquimalt Recreation Centre at 527 Fraser Street, Esquimalt. Meetings start at 7 p.m.
General meetings, held on the first Wednesday of the month between September and June, are free and open to the public.
Critique Groups
Victoria Writers’ Society members can participate in small, informal groups where writers present their works in progress and receive critical feedback.
Writers in the same fields share the same challenges. A critique group is a way to engage in mutual education and develop creative potential. Feedback from fellow writers is helpful in revising and improving your work.
In general, the groups are kept small so that everyone has time to read and to discuss each other’s work. Individual groups may adopt specific guidelines for running meetings.
If you are a VWS member and are interested in joining a group, or forming a new one, email victoriawriterssociety@gmail.ca.
Current Groups
Fiction writers’ groups
Our fiction critiquing groups cater to writers in different genres. The main group meets every first and third Thursday of the month at James Bay Coffee and Books @ 7:00 p.m, and is always accepting new members. We also have a full novel writing group and a full short story group that meets in the afternoon. Our other groups which are accepting new members are for Speculative Fiction, which meets Sunday evenings, e-mail fiction, which meets strictly online, a short story group meeting weekday evenings, and a drama group meeting for the first time in June. Please contact secretary@victoriawriters.ca if you are interested in joining or starting your own critique group.
Non-fiction writers’ group
Our two creative non-fiction and one memoir critiquing group meet regularly each month; one creative non-fiction group is currently accepting new members. Meetings are hosted at various members’ homes. For information, please contact secretary@victoriawriters.ca
Poetry writers’ group
Our poetry critiquing group currently meets once a month, in members’ homes. Please contact secretary@victoriawriters.ca for more information.
How to critique
For good information, read Chris M. Golde’s “Tips for Successful Writing Groups”.
Positive points. Whenever possible, point out the positive aspects of a piece. Let the author know when they’ve provoked thoughts or feelings.
Be specific. If you see a problem, try to suggest solutions. Remember that everybody has a different way of approaching their work. Hearing about how somebody else approaches a knotty issue is a helpful part of the writing process, even if you don’t use the advice.
Ask and answer. State what you’re looking for in terms of feedback: are you having problems with themes, ideas, logical flow, tone, or mood? Or do you just want a general “feeling” from an audience? Ask the group these questions before they consider your work, so they can read with them in mind.
No personal attacks. Personal attacks aren’t critiques, and they’re inappropriate. If you don’t like a piece, keep the focus on the writing and not the author.