To critique or not to critique, that is the question...and everyone has an answer!

You've heard it: Writing is lonely. It's true. It's not as true as it was before the internet, though. These days, it's much easier to find and join a community of writers and feel a little less lonely as you toil away on Your Great American Novel.

I've belonged to a couple of writers' groups and eventually dropped out, but my critique group means the world to me. The night we meet is sacred, and just about everyone who knows me knows what I'm doing and where I'm going that evening.

But critique groups are as varied as their members, and they aren't for everyone. To help you decide if you should try to find one, I've compiled a list of links to other author's opinions. Be prepared for contradiction. Enjoy!

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• The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, or how to Choose a Writers' Group by Holly Lisle
• Writer's Groups--Don't Drink and Read by Randy Susan Meyers
• On Finding Those Pesky Critique Groups by Randy Ingermanson
• Can Critique Groups Do More Harm Than Good? by Kristen Lamb
• Writing Critique Groups by Sherry Wilson
• Why Critique Groups Must Die by Guy Bergstrom
• Why You Should Ignore Most of the Advice of Your Critique Group...But They Can Help You Anyway by Anne R. Allen
• How to Find the Right Critique Group or Partner for You by Brooke McIntyre