1. The document discusses the benefits of using authors as mentors for peer critique groups and fostering mentoring relationships in the classroom. 2. Effective critique involves starting with compliments, providing constructive feedback, and ending with more compliments. It should not involve personal attacks and should remain constructive. 3. The panel discusses their experiences with critique groups and how critiquing the work of others has helped them improve their own writing.

1. Authors as Mentors for Peer Critique Groups Denise Johnson, Matthew Kirby, Eric Luper, Linda Urban & Kate Messner

6. Panel of Award Winning Authors... Matthew Kirby Eric Luper Linda Urban Kate Messner

7. Matthew Kirby http://matthewjkirby.com/kirbside/

8. Eric Luper http://ericluper.com/

9. As a writer, I have learned not only from being critiqued, but from critiquing others. I have had the opportunity to critique with different sorts of writers including non-fiction, adult thrillers, romance, poetry, picture books, sci-fi/fantasy, graphic novels and I have learned different, unexpected things from each. Writers learn by engaging in the active process of critiquing.

10. Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins) The experience of writing a novel is like reading your favorite book 100 times in a row. - You memorize parts of the book - You skip words and stop reading critically - You forget which passages are still in the manuscript and which ones you've deleted - The surprises stop being surprising - The jokes stop being funny Put simply, your brain becomes mush!!

11. Jeremy Bender vs. the Cupcake Cadets (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins) The same thing happened!!

12. Everyone needs to work hard at helping everyone else. Stress that critiquing is not a personal attack; Rather, it must always remain constructive. And, it's something even the most veteran writers do! Author 'First Page' Critiques 1. Get a panel of 'experts' in the room. 2.Have a neutral reader read the first page of a story aloud. 3. It is important the writer is anonymous. 4. Have the panel respond with a "compliment sandwich." - compliment - constructive suggestion - compliment

13. Linda Urban http://lindaurbanbooks.com/

14. Kate Messner www.katemessner.com

15. Coming in April!

27. Authors as Mentors for Peer Critique Groups Denise Johnson, Matthew Kirby, Eric Luper, Kate Messner, & Linda Urban