THE WEIGHT OF EXPECTATIONS

Navigating a critique group while keeping your mental health intact.

- BY P.M. RAYMOND

There is no shortage of writers who are as famous for their mental health struggles as they are for their writing.

Sylvia Plath. Edgar Allan Poe. Ernest Hemingway. Virginia Woolf. The list goes on. However, well-known authors aren't the only ones who suffer from anxiety, depression, or any other range of mental health concerns.

A person's emotional, psychological, and social well-being can influence how they handle stress and interact with others. Big or small events can throw one's mental health off balance, and the most unlikely events can cause an impact.

For me, it was a critique group.

Rarely does anyone discuss the stress and mental toll associated with inviting others to weigh in on your work in progress. No one prepared me for the process and what to expect. It took me a while to overcome my wild, intrusive thoughts (or at least manage them), and I know I'm not alone.

Here are three challenges I've faced navigating a critique group while keeping my mental health intact, along with pitfalls that almost derailed my journey. For further context, I've invited Dr. Matthew Conner, a licensed psychiatrist in private practice in Durham, N.C., to offer insights that center on the writer's mental well-being when dealing with criticisms.

CHALLENGE SELF-DOUBT

I spiraled for a while after joining my first critique group. I literally felt hot flashes, lightheadedness, and other physical symptoms while waiting to hear my work picked apart.

Early in my writing career, constructive criticism, no matter how well-intentioned, made me crawl into an emotional dark hole. And it is a hard demon to shake, especially when you are a new or inexperienced writer.

Software engineer by day, burgeoning horror writer by night, author Todd Crone is just beginning his writing journey. His feelings on the review process are relatable.