Your librarian will probably know about other groups in your area. If you find that the group is a mutual praise society, go find another one. You really do want one that makes you feel like tearing up your manuscript. Most stories don t work in their first drafts. Good criticism is important to help you turn a good idea into a good story.
Repair is often a matter of plot.
Most beginning writers like to write about nice things happening to nice people. That s boring. Think about what you like to read. I like to read about characters who get into trouble, make mistakes, fail, and keep trying. I like to worry about characters, and wonder what risks they ll take and what problems they ll bring on themselves, as well as how they ll cope with the world.