One fairly consistent thing about writers is that we tend to talk about our characters as if they're real. Not all writers, not always, but pretty often. I can tell you that AJ hates oatmeal and loves bagels; that he'll say snarky things about wanting a drink, though he's a teetotaler; and that if he'd stayed home instead of going to a fancy school, he'd be a nicer person. Did I invent all this? Absolutely. Will I talk about him with more detail than if he were my boyfriend? Definitely.
Can I distract myself from my original topic by talking about him? Ta-da!
I have a really lovely critique group. There are six or seven of us, at different stages of writing abilities and story points, and our personalities show most clearly in our critiques. Kheper, for example, is enthusiastic, funny, and ADD. Vanessa is very sweet, and tends to give her critiques with an air of "you don't have to listen if you don't want to." Missy is straight-forward and fun; Ken (who is a chemist in real life) tends to be accurate and cut-and-dry.
The variety in the critiques is marvelous. Vanessa points out everything she loves and asks about phrasing choices and some points that seem unclear. Kheper pounces on anything from grammar error to potential world-building, relates it to gaming, distracts himself, and bounces back to the original point. Ken points out solid phrasing and big picture problems, like asking why AJ got taken out so easily.
My point? It's all helpful. Vanessa and Kheper compliment fairly liberally, and tell me when I make them laugh. Ken is more reserved with compliments, and the plot hole he pointed out means some major work. Missy is balanced.
Compliments are wonderful. Compliments keep me writing, help me say, "I can do this." Criticism is wonderful. Criticism shows me where to improve and gives me something to compare. I write dialogue better than action and quips better than logic. Therefore, I will worry more about action and logic when I write.
Writers need feedback. We're so wrapped up in the worlds we create that we lose objectivity. Some become terrifyingly egotistical and cannot take criticism. Critics are either hateful or stupid. And others cripple themselves with doubt. "I thought this last piece was good, but now I see it's flawed. Who's to say this current work is any better?"
