M G da Mota, author of Arabesque, a historical psychological drama, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to give us her take on critique groups.

Welcome, M G. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

I have never been part of a critique group and I don’t see myself as becoming involved with one. I am not a very sociable person and don’t enjoy being with people I don’t know. I’m a very private individual. I like my own company and I’m perfectly happy to be alone. Naturally I need feedback from others as part of the writing process but for me a critique group would feel like being back at school or Uni and having to defend or present my work to people who don’t know me and that I also have no idea who they are and how they are even if there is the writing as common ground. I feel those days are behind me. I have people I trust who are always ready to read my first or second drafts and provide comments, feedback and suggestions. This works very well for me.

Having said that—like with most things—something that doesn’t work for me, may well be a great option for another person. I don’t think it’s any different for critique groups. As far as I know critique groups are more common in the Unites States than in Europe, at least in the countries I know best but I’m sure there must be some as well.

In my personal opinion if someone decides to become a writer but is not certain of what they should write about or how to construct a novel, create characters and a plot or use the language to best effect, then a critique group is probably a very good idea. It is a safe environment of sorts where one can learn, can develop, may be able to identify strengths and weaknesses, how to avoid pitfalls and learn how to accept and give feedback. I think I learned a lot of these topics when I intensively studied literature as a good portion of my degree. Additionally, there are many people who need the community feeling and its sense of support. So all of what I mention above are positive aspects that speak for joining a critique group and will be advantages and/or rewards for many people. I am just saying that for me personally these so-called positives would become negatives. I am an extreme introvert, anti-social person, which means that belonging to this type of group would simply be a hateful exercise.

An excerpt from Arabesque: “After a moment I decided in favour of the bus. Taxis were too expensive. Just then I heard the roar of an engine and instinctively stepped back. A red Ducati parked only a few metres away on the side road. I knew about motorbikes. My brother liked them. He owned an Aprilia and took it to the tracks in Portugal much to his wife’s chagrin and my little niece’s excitement. I recognise and appreciate a terrific motorbike when I see one.

Admiring the Ducati from a distance I watched the biker who dismounted with the elegance of a model about to shoot a fashion video. He pulled off his helmet, attached it to the steering, next to a spare already there and walked into the station. I followed him with my eyes. His walk. As if floating. It was him. Last month’s stranger on the Strand. It could only be him. The way he moved was unmistakable. So light. So elastic. Graceful. Not effeminate. Stylish. Noble. With class. He wore black jeans, laced ankle boots, a pilot’s leather jacket and a black and red wool scarf around his neck. I thought he looked like a prince, or at least what one imagined a prince should look like—tall, athletic and handsome.”

Thank you for sharing this with us, M G, and good luck with Arabesque. Readers can learn more about MG da Mota by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.

During M G da Mota’s online Goddess Fish book tour one randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card. To enter, please click here.

About M G da Mota: M G da Mota is Margarida Mota-Bull’s pen name for fiction. She is a Portuguese-British novelist with a love for classical music, ballet and opera. Under her real name she also writes reviews of live concerts, CDs, DVDs and books for two classical music magazines on the web: MusicWeb International and Seen and Heard International. She is a member of the UK Society of Authors, speaks four languages and lives in Sussex with her husband. Her website, called flowingprose.com, contains photos and information.