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Take your fiction-writing and evaluation skills to the next level in this focused but friendly critique group convened by fiction editor Catherine Hill.

Prior to each meeting, three writers from the group will submit an extract of their work (maximum of 5000 words; can be a short story or part of a novel) for other group members and the convenor to provide constructive feedback on during the meeting. Providing feedback in this way will help group members to develop their analytical skills, spot room for improvement in their own work, and push their writing further.

Catherine will also open each meeting with a discussion of a particular aspect of fiction writing, such as point of view, story structure, characterisation and dialogue. Group members will learn to identify these elements in a piece of writing and be encouraged to address them in their feedback comments. To ensure all participants receive focused feedback on their work, this course is limited to a maximum of eight participants.

NOTE: We will need three students to provide a piece of work for critique two weeks prior to the commencement of the course. Please let us know when enrolling if you have a piece of work ready to be critiqued in week one.

Comments from previous Fiction Feedback participants

Judith Flanagan: ‘For those who are serious about their craft, Fiction Feedback is the most stimulating and rewarding class you could hope to find. The benefits of critiquing and being critiqued by a small group of serious writers will teach you skills that will sustain your writing for years to come.’

Kerry Rogerson: ‘Fiction Feedback became so essential to me as a writer that I am tempted to sign up again. Feedback from the group allowed me to refine my work and develop all-important skills for self-editing. It was especially wonderful to be with other writers who were serious about developing their manuscripts, to have the opportunity to be read, and to receive constructive guidance that has served to enhance my novel and put it on the road to publication.’

Toni Brisland: ‘Parameters were set and rules put in place to avoid any pitfalls and to create a positive learning environment. One of the manuscripts I offered for critique was the third in my DemiChat series for children (DemiChat and the City of Gold) and I incorporated the valuable feedback I received from everyone in the group into the final draft that went to my editor and publisher.’

Participant Requirements

• Participants are required to submit their work by email two weeks before their scheduled critique session so it can be passed on to the group for reading and preparation of feedback.
• Submitted pieces should be no longer than 5000 words and no shorter than 3000 words. Please use a legible font for your work (e.g. Times New Roman, 12 point) and set it with 1.5 line spacing so the text is easy to read. Ensure your pages are properly numbered.
• Those critiquing the work are required to read each piece all the way through and to prepare considered and constructive feedback to share during the critique session. Every group member is expected to participate in the critique sessions.
• Group members are asked to respect one another’s work and to provide feedback sensitively and constructively.
• Attendance is crucial for this course. If you are unable to attend, please inform the workshop facilitator at least two weeks prior to the session. You will be asked to provide your feedback on the extracts by email if you are unable to attend a session.