Mary Baader Kaley (is) Not an Editor

And THE PLOT WHISPERER Book Goes To

2011-10-25T09:25:00.000-05:00

(Or, Newest Member of the Plotting Club)

Congratulations to JUDY KOHNEN, winner of Martha Alderson's The Plot Whisperer.

Judy, please send your address to me at mkaley3 (at) gmail (dot) com. You are SO lucky to get this copy. Cue the standing ovation. Thanks, Martha, for the interview and for all the comments to the readers.

And, a few drums are rolling for our informal survey (using the NAE Ninja Science methodology, of course). The question was, are you a Plotter or are you a Pantser. The results:

Plotters: 37.9%
Pantsers: 34.5%
Combo PlotPantsers: 27.6%

Which can only mean one thing. 62% of us really need Martha's book. And the 38% who are plotters? They also crave this book. It's true. Read the comments.

Thanks to everyone for participating. *blows kisses*

Critiquerly Interview with Martha Alderson

2011-10-20T09:58:00.001-05:00

(Or, Whisper Me a Plot and Win a Book)

In my last post, I alluded to the possibility of a Personal Change of Being. I may have just morphed, my fine, fine, writerly friends, from being a pantser to a plot planner. I’ve ripped open the seams of my current WiP, and started to sew a plot structure for not one, but two future WiPs.

And I’m going to share my big secret with you. It’s Martha Alderson, otherwise known as The Plot Whisperer.

I think I first came to know about Martha through a twitter link that took me to her vlog series. I watched the entire series in a day (all 27 of them), and within the next few weeks, I had my entire online critique group involved in a workshop centered around her videos. Some of us are fixing plot problems in current WiPs, and others are getting ready for nanowrimo.

This is why I’m falling over with a general stokedness today. Because Martha is here. On Not an Editor. With her thoughts about critiquing. And? She’s got some thought-provoking answers.

~~~

Martha Alderson has worked with hundreds of writers in sold-out plot workshops, retreats, and plot consultations for more than fifteen years. Her clients include bestselling authors, New York editors, and Hollywood movie directors. She lives in Santa Cruz, CA. Follow her blog, workshops, vlog, or follow her on twitter and faceboook.

~~~

NAE: After a writer gets back an in-depth critique, what would you recommend in terms of a review/revise process?

MA: I suggest that the writer sit with the input for a few days and let the information sink in and feel the effects of the feedback emotionally. Then, based on what the in-depth critique reveals, I suggest that the writer pull out a fresh piece of banner paper and re-plot the entire story on a new Plot Planner, incorporating the feedback that feels valid to her. Then, she can stand back and, minus the words, view her story as a whole and assess how the energy of the story rises and falls.

NAE: What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

MA: Let me answer your question this way, I believe one of the best things a critiquer can do is always to separate the story from the writer. The story is the beginning and middle and end as a whole that involves characters and mostly one character as she is confronted with challenges and undergoes a meaningful transformation. The story is always whole and complete. The writer, on the other hand, in attempting to translate wisps of inspiration to the page is only as good as her current developmental skill level of writing.

When something is not working, it's not the story that is problematic, it is the writer as she continues to grow and study and reach for mastery over the story-telling process.

NAE: When you critique someone’s work, what is your general process?

MA: I never critique writers' work. I have found as a plot consultant to writers that I cannot see the forest (plot and structure) for the trees (words). Plot consultations focus exclusively on the master plot, which is made up of the action, character and thematic plot lines or, in other words, the form and structure. Writers are asked to have on hand a list of scenes from their projects and an idea of the message they are hoping their story will convey.

By pushing aside the words, I am better able to see the deeper structure of the story and assess what is working and what needs work.

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing?

MA: I am most interested in how the dramatic action of the story affects the protagonist and how she transforms overtime and what that means overall. Minus the luster of words and phrases is the structure or form of the writer’s expression. Mysteries and depth are hiding in the stories right now. It is in the interlocking plotlines that they reveal themselves.

~~~

Thanks, Martha, for including us in your new book release blog tour, which gives me one last exciting announcement. I have a copy of The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master, and I’m ready to send it to one lucky winner. All you have to do is leave a comment below. If you’d like to tweet about this contest, I’ll smile sweetly and say thanks. Mr. Random Generator will pick our winner, to be announced next Tuesday. Of course, now that you’ve met Martha, you may not be able to wait to get her book. You. Want. This. Book.*

And here’s something I’d like to know in your comments today: Are you a pantser or a planner?

*Seriously. You do, you want this book. I’ve kept it by my side when I writer and critique ever since it’s found its way into my hands a few weeks ago.

How-tos: Getting Your Full WiP Critiqued

2011-10-18T10:14:00.000-05:00

(Or, Network, Plan, and Wait)

Okay. Yes, I know. I’ve been a smidge absent lately. I’m back in the saddle, reading everyone’s blog entries (so many fab ones!), critiquing for my writerly friends, and editing my own writing. I may even get back to Twitter soon (I heart my goat posse!). I’ve been a bit busy with a stuff going on in my real life, and also writing stuff. Writerly speaking, there’s something that has grabbed my attention and forced me to take a new look at the plots in my WiP, and (cue the shock) the plots of my upcoming WiPs. Now, I’ve been a total Pantser (vs. Planner) when it comes to writing. But I might just transform into a Planner, and I’ll tell you why.

But not until Thursday. I’m interviewing the person who has caused this shift in me, the change that’s gotten me soaked in the Planner mode over the past two weeks.

And? I’m going to give away her awesome writerly advice book on Thursday, too. Don’t. Miss. It. You want this book.

But that’s not the subject of this post. I want to dive into full critiques, since I’m doing a lot of them lately. We’ve already discussed chapter-by-chapter critiques, and now it’s time to talk about beta reads. Not the usual how-do-you-critique in beta reads, since I have a couple of posts coming up that will address this, but how to handle the process when your own WiP is ready for betas. If you are an experienced beta critiquer, please (please!) feel free to add and share.

1. Celebrate. You’ve completed your first draft. Put it away and order a pizza or pour yourself a mug of your best wine. Eat some chocolate (my current fave: Fanny May mint chocolate squares), taking tiny bites and savoring the delicious melting euphoria that only chocolate can offer. Go dancing, sky diving, or some other adequately spirit-bolstering activity. Forget about your draft for at least a week, maybe two. You’re in celebration mode. If you must write, begin a new story.

2. Read your WiP again. Of course, this step comes after the celebratory step with the week’s worth of wait in between. The best draft to send out to betas is a to-your-knowledge-perfect draft. Or, almost perfect. There might be things that you think can improve, but you can’t put your finger on how to fix it. That’s okay—that’s what critiquerly friends are for But, sentences that are missing words or 987 occurrences of the word very in your text? This is not what you want to burn your beta readers on. You’d like them to focus on those things that you can’t see or fix for yourself. You owe yourself one more read-through.

3. Network. Hopefully, you’ve been working on your writerly contacts all along. You’ve visited writer’s group websites, blogs, attended conferences, and you know a group of people who you respect, who like you, and who’d love to work with you. In fact, you’d love (love!) to work with them, too. Even if your WiP isn’t quite ready, you can establish relationships and read/comment on other writers’ completed WiPs. It’s time consuming and a whole chunk of work, but the benefits way, way outweigh the drawbacks. Because now? You’ve got your group of serious-minded writers who adore you.

4. Keep in Touch. When you’ve networked and you’ve done your part in critiquing other WiPs, make sure you keep in touch with these wonderful writerly people until your WiP is ready for them. Let them know every so often where you are with your efforts, and when you think you might need them to beta read/critique.

5. Plan. As you get to know your critiquerly partners (CPs), you’ll get a general sense of their strengths. You’ll want your critiquerly pie well represented. Some CPs might be better with plot, some with character development. Touch all bases with your betas, and try to do so in logical sequence. Maybe you send your WiP to one or two betas to start, so the next set of betas can focus their specific efforts on a cleaner WiP.

6. Ask for what you’d like. CP #1 is great with emotions and character depth, so tell her how much you appreciate her talent, and ask her to pay special attention to this in your WiP. Maybe you think you need extra focus on characters X and Z. Ask her. She’ll be happy to give feedback, especially with the green light you’ve flashed her.

7. Wait. Patiently. It’s a good idea to let your CPs know your overall timeline if you have one, especially if you’re sending beta reads out to phased groups. However, you can’t control what is going on in everyone’s lives. If you haven’t heard from a CP in a long while, check in to make sure they’ve received it without pressuring them to finish. Once you’ve gotten your feedback, wait again before you revise. Let the ideas sink in. The solutions may be utterly obvious, but maybe not. Maybe you’ll come up with a better solution if you let it stew. Put your critiques in the slow cooker and let the ideas waft a while.

8. Drool with profuse amounts of gratitude. Your fantastic CPs have just read your 50,000-or-so-maybe-more word WiP, have focused as hard as they could on open opportunities in the pages, loved your characters almost as much as you do, and have taken the time to write up their thoughts. It’s a hard thing to do, and it takes skill. Love them for it, and then let them know how much you love them for it.

What else do you do when you send your WiP out for beta reads? I’d love to hear your experiences.

Critiques for Log Lines

2011-09-28T10:20:00.000-05:00

(Or, Let the Log Lines Roll)

If you haven't already heard, Authoress is putting a whole bunch of log lines up today for critique on her blog, Miss Snark's First Victim. Authoress recently talked about crit styles in her very own critiquerly interview.

What's a log line? It's a brief description of your WiP. An elevator pitch version. Authoress is hosting this log line critique session in preparation for her Baker's Dozen Agent Auction.

What's the Bakers Dozen? It's where some lucky blog readers get their log line plus the first page of their WiP read by agents. Not just one or two agents. A dozen or so participate. And then they bid for the entries that they want. For example, an agent might bid to see the first three chapters, or even the entire WiP. *cue rays of sun and cherubic music*

Why is this good from a Not an Editor standpoint? Because you can see how people critique. It's always good to take note of different critiquing styles. There's a whole lotta them. And you can also practice some critiquing skills.

And? It's just a bakery full of excitement and chocolaty awesome sauce. With sprinkles on top.

Online Workshops with Crit Groups

2011-09-20T08:48:00.001-05:00

(Or, Extra Benefits of Crit Groups)

A million pardons for repeating myself, but I lurve my online critique group at Write Stuff Extreme. We're a smaller bunch—a boutique group, as they told me when I first joined—with membership always at fifty or so writers.

About once a year, though, our group offers a workshop. Last year, the worshop centered on finding your voice. The one before that went into flash fiction, how it works, and how to write it. Right now? We're doing a plot-your-WiP workshop. So fun. Some of our participants are plotting new WiPs as they gaze longingly at November for nanowrimo. Other participants have WiPs already written, and they are analyzing these projects based on universal plot principles to see if any improvements scream out to them as we go along.

And yes, there's been a bit of screaming. In a good way. I guess Oprah would call these AHA moments.

Do you have an online group that might want to workshop together on plotting before nanowrimo? We're using Martha Alderson's The Plot Whisperer video series, sharing the results of assignments with each other. Consider suggesting some sort of workshop with your group. The results can be phenomenal.

What other things do you do with your critique groups? Have you workshopped something together?

Why Writing/Critiquing is Like Online Games

2011-09-15T11:05:00.000-05:00

(Or, A Hugely Overdue Meme)

I know that many of my blogging buddies completed the why writing is like *fill in the blank* meme months ago. Yes, maybe I was tagged, and yes, maybe I fell a tad short in completing the meme. A thousand apologies.

Since this blog is about critiquing, I have to throw that aspect into the meme. You know me—always breaking the rules. I'd apologize for that, too, except I don't want to give the impression that I'm going to try not to break rules in the future. Ahem. Bygones.

Why Writing/Critiquing is Like Online Games

About a year ago, I watched a video clip where Jane McGonigal (<-Harry Potterish last name. So cool.) gave a lecture about saving the world through video games. Jane uses World of Warcraft as one of her main talking points. Seriously. Her organization has already created some games centered on real-world issues, and I think they're onto something. I hope it works. While watching it, I realized that my gaming son is actually in training to be the ultimate save-the-world virtuoso someday. Jane is amazingly entertaining in this video clip. If you haven't seen it, block out some time to watch it. You'll get the gist of her philosophy after a few minutes.

One of my favorite concepts that Jane describes is how these online games provide participants with an epic goal (we must do this great thing!), create optimism (we can do this great thing!), constitute a social fabric (our cooperation brings success!), and result in blissful hours of productivity (we like achieving epic goals!).

Maybe you're already formulating in your mind how these four things relate to the writing/critiquing community. Here's my take.

Writing/Critiquing provides us with an Epic Goal. Our goal? To create stories that show the best of our abilities, submerge people in another world, and hopefully make them feel something. Yes, maybe we're all writing our own epicness, but it's a common goal.

Writing/Critiquing creates Optimism. Writers are fantastic when it comes to optimism (until they get stuck), but when we're writing, we typically believe that we can achieve what we set out to do. We can reach our Epic Goal.

Writing/Critiquing generates a Social Fabric. Look at the number of blogs about writing, the online writing communities, and the conferences we have available to us. Furthermore, our critique partners are enormously helpful with the optimism and motivation behind our writing. When we're stuck and our optimism falters (e.g., stuck), our CPs are there to help us through. This bond is wonderful, deep, and so important to our Epic Goal.

Writing/Critiquing results in Blissful Productivity. Holy schmoly, writerly/critiquerly friends. How many hours have we spent typing away on our projects? Or reading and critiquing someone else's projects? And we still can't get enough. We forget to eat. We forget to sleep. We like achieving our Epic Goals!

There you have it. Now, go save the world.

Chapter-by-Chapter Critique Tips

2011-09-12T04:55:00.001-05:00

(Or, Writing with the Door Open)

Stephen King advocates writing first drafts "with the door closed." He'd say that the first draft belongs only to the writer. Everyone has her own preferences, but because I participate in an online critique group with a place to post individual chapters for review, I've seen writers go pretty far with the door open.

Are there flaws in a process like this? Of course. For one, it's tough for critiquers to get an overall picture of the WiP. The flow that they would normally get by having the full work isn't there. In fact, if the chapters go up too slowly, then critiquers have a tendency to forget details from previous chapters. And for the writer, the temptation to go back and fix things rather than completing the project can be smothering.

However, I've also witnessed the benefits of this process in avoiding re-work and providing motivation. I like to get about 10,000-20,000 words into a WiP before posting anything, so I'm a part-closed, part-opened mix. But I like to post chapters pre-completion at this point for several reasons.

Huge Plot Holes: The process provides early feedback which helps avoid re-work later. It's overwhelming to have a completed WiP and then find out that a Huge Plot Hole exists, and will require tons of patching, reworking, and reshaping in order to pull it off. In fact, I've known some writers who completely give up on a WiP at this point.

Get General Thumbs Up: I like to know whether my characters are compelling, if the point of view works, and whether the story garners interest. Again, this helps me to avoid re-work later on. Or maybe, I have to abandon an idea until I come up with a way to fix it. But at least I'm not so far into it that I feel stuck.

Staying Connected: Posting as I go keeps me connected with my writing community. When I'm in my writing zone, I totally go into bear cave mode and not come up for air. Except if I take a few minutes to post a chapter here or there, critique someone else's chapter here or there, I stay connected.

Keeping Motivated: Staying connected also keeps me motivated. Is my critique group waiting for the next chapter? Why yes, yes they are, and they told me so after my last post. How lovely. And this? Helps me finish sooner.

Critiquing chapter-to-chapter posts, therefore, might have a different feel than critiquing full projects.* So, what can the critiquer do to ensure they are helping the writer get the biggest bang for her buck?

Focus on helping the writer to avoid re-work. Find out where the writer has the most difficulty with first drafts, and help her when she's falling off her wagon. Is the plot faltering? Characters flat? Scenes unnecessary? Does something completely pull you out of the story?

Don't worry about the perfect diction or polish. This is her first draft, so she won't need to know every comma misplacement or every participle that dangles. Save those suggestions for the final edit. However, if there is a glaring grammar infraction that happens again and again, then go ahead and let her know. It's easier to fix a repetitive issue before it happens rather than to go back and fix each and every one of the infractions later. This goes back to the number one, saving the writer work later on.

Try to keep past details straight, which is more challenging because of the passage of time between chapters. If you're not sure if something was mentioned earlier, take a quick peek. Even if this detail was mentioned, if it doesn't "do the job," let the writer know.

As always, take a minute to say what you liked to help keep the in-progress writer motivated, even if you simply write the word LIKE in the margin at the end of a fantastic line. Those tiny compliments always work for me.

Again, chapter-by-chapter critiques are not for everyone, and that's okay. Can you think of anything else I've missed for chapter-by-chapter, in-progress critiquing? Let me know.

*Some people post chapter-to-chapter but have the whole WiP completed before they start. The chapters usually go up faster, and this type of critique works more like a full WiP critique. Therefore, the above suggestions may not apply.

Critiquerly Interview with YA Author Beth Revis

2011-09-08T05:00:00.002-05:00

(Or, Critiquing = Developing as a Writer)

If you read Authoress's critiquerly interview, you'll know that she has raved about today's guest. However, you may not know how frexing excited I am to have the author of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE because I love the sky (see above—I mean at the top of my blog, silly), and it's hard to imagine never seeing it again. Anyone who can make me think of this fact months after I've read her book ranks way up there (no—I mean figuratively).

Not to mention that it took me about two months to stop saying frexing as an expletive. Okay, okay. Maybe I still use it. Especially when driving.

As I hinted at last week, please welcome Beth Revis. (*cue the squeefulness*)

Beth Revis's debut novel, Across the Universe, came out from Razorbill/Penguin in January 2011.
A former high school English teacher, Beth can't help but blog about writing, grammar, and
publishing at Writing it Out. She is the founder of the newly popular dystopian blog, the
League of Extraordinary Writers, and blows off steam by trying to come up with something
witty in 140 characters or less, lusting after books on GoodReads, or wasting time on Facebook.
Beth is represented by Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House.

~~~

NAE: From whom, as one of your critiquers/beta-readers, have you learned the most, and what did you learn from him/her?

BR: I didn't learn this from any one critiquer, but from years of working with crit partners and beta readers, and it's this: when you critique someone else's work, you become a better writer. It's so much easier to see the fault in other people's work than in your own--so reading others' works with an eye for looking for fault will help you see it in your own and naturally develop you as a writer.

NAE. What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

BR: Whenever possible, phrase your comment as a question. Questions are naturally non-aggressive, and by phrasing your comment as a question, you are more likely to help the person see the crux of the problem rather than get defensive. For example: which would you rather see in a crit:

1. This character is boring--you should cut his whole storyline.

2. Do you absolutely need this character? Is he essential to the main plot of the novel?

I'm not saying to treat people with kid gloves--you can go on to explain your question and be brutally honest--but by opening with a question, you're leading the writer to come up with a solution that works.

NAE: When you critique someone's work, what is your general process?

BR: line-edit as I go, but when I have a larger comment, I'll make a number in the document, then add a longer note in another document. Then at the end, I add overall comments about the main things: plot, characters, pacing, etc. So, if you get a critique from me, you get two things back: a line edit, and a longer (often around 10 page) letter that deals with broader issues.

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing?

I mostly just keep notes of anything that makes me want to put the book down. It can be grammar, it can be characters, or plot, or whatever.

~~~

Thank you so much for stopping by, Beth. It's been a pleasure. I'm loving your response to the first question—so true. So the reason for this blog.

If you're a YA fan and haven't had a chance to read ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, and even if you're not a SF/F type of person, pick up a copy. We're talking serious must-read. But hurry, because A MILLION SUNS, the sequel, releases on January 10, 2012.

January 2012

Managing Feedback that Hurts

2011-09-06T04:30:00.000-05:00

(Or, Extra-Snarky Review? Bygones.)

In 1997, I had a favorite show, Ally McBeal. It was one of those lawyer/trial shows meets Sex in the City meets an adult version of Glee. Both ridiculous and serious. Loved. It. Unisex bathroom and all. Anywho, one of the partners of the law firm, Richard Fish, went around verbally cutting down his subordinates at every conceivable juncture. But the only apology from him was one word: Bygones. And it was rendered right after the verbal slaying.

When I worked in the Corporately World, I dealt with about a hundred e-mails a day. *cue the shuddering* I worked in a global company and because of the differences in time zones, e-mails were the only way to communicate efficiently, and these messages served as black-and-white proof of "conversations/agreements." Sometimes, though, in the fast-paced, get-it-done environment, I had to deal with some pretty snarky messages. In fact, they smarted enough for me to wince at times, especially when the snarkiness centered around something I'd done, that I put my name on and took pride in.

These emails left me with a What Do You Mean You Hate It Are You Stoopit reaction. I wasn't alone. My co-workers also received like-worded emails, and we'd collectively commiserate on the misfortune of working with Corporately Stoopitness. However, snarky emails flew like autumnal flocks, and after a while I came up with a strategy.

Never respond to a snarky email right after reading it. Have a cup of (*insert favorite work beverage here, diet coke works for me*). Or wait until after lunch. Sleep on it if necessary (though not during work hours). But here's the magic I'd discovered: the email doesn't sting quite so much after giving it some time to settle.

After an appropriate amount of time has passed, re-read the message while imagining a non-snarky tone. Use Elmo's voice if necessary. Consider whether Stoopit had just been careless on the delivery, and didn't really mean to snark all over your day. Sometimes the snark turned out to be a self-inflicted figment of my imagination.

Go back and do some investigation. Maybe my work was not as perfect as I thought I was, or maybe my initial conversation/email was abrupt. If whatever I'd done had been at all unclear, incomplete, or otherwise misunderstandable, then I'd fix it. Pure and simple. Boom.

If there was something in the snarky email that was unclear, that perhaps could go snarky or not, I'd follow up (taking care not to set off an email war). To do this, I used questions. Do you mean this or that?

Sometimes, the person was being snarky just to be snarky. But maybe she had a bad day. Perhaps she hated me. Or. Maybe I'd just pick up the phone and talk it out. (I actually made more career-long comrades this way than I can count. Usually, the person was having a hellish moment and lashed out, and she needed someone, AKA me, to talk to about it.*)

Rarely, when no reasonable resolution to the issue could be found, I had to accept Snarky Emailer as my arch rival and try to avoid her in future corporately dealings. Bygones.

Receiving a snarky critique on my writing, I must admit, stings thrice as badly as an average, snarky corporately email. Sure, I want feedback and I'd like to improve and all, but I don't want to feel Stoopit. Or sad. Or like I'm wasting my time on writerly efforts. It can hit my Achilles heel more acutely when it's on a public forum. Because now? Every can see that Snarky Reviewer thinks I'm stoopit, and how-o-how does one recover from such humiliation? Well, everyone has their own way of dealing with things, but taking from my corporately experience (I just knew it would come in handy—erm—eventually), here's a few ideas.

Don't respond to it right away. It's always nice to get back to the critiquer and thank them, but sometimes, it's not possible at the first pass. Especially when the comments feel unnecessarily snarky. So have a cup of (*insert favorite writerly beverage here*). Eat a meal. Sleep on it. Listen to Mozart. Dance a jig or two.

Re-read the critique to see if the snarkiness is self-inflicted. It's hard to know what the true tone of the writer is behind the review without telepathy (which has always been an issue for yours truly), so try to read it in a simple, calm tone.

Go back and see if there is anything valid in the feedback. The critiquer read your work and put some thoughts together. They may be way off, or they may be right on. Figure out which it is and revise as appropriate.

Maybe she didn't mean it? Sometimes the critiquer left off in the middle of a thought, so a statement came across the wrong way (I've done that!), or maybe they meant to be funny but it came across as mean-spirited. Follow up with her. It might be worth your while.

Maybe you like her. For a critiquer you've known for a while and with whom you'd rather maintain a writerly relationship than not, you could approach her and find out what is behind the comments. Maybe it reminded her of something difficult from her past. Or maybe she was especially crabby that day for other reasons.* Maybe she didn't take the time to re-read her comments before sending them off, and didn't realize how it affected you.

Maybe she's bad news. Some critiquers leave people skills behind during reviews, who are Snarky For The Sake of Snark. When this is the case, it's best to just part ways. And that's okay. What you need for your work is constructive, thoughtful feedback. Take the high road, thank them for their time, and then pursue other critiquing relationships.

Spending too much time and energy on the Snarky For The Sake of Snark reviewers is a waste of your talent, time, and energy that could be better spent on your writing craft. Move on and don't look back.

Bygones.

*Not that I condone displaced snarkiness.

Critiquerly Interview with Authoress

2011-09-01T04:06:00.002-05:00

(Or, Giving Your CP Homework)

She loves cashews, organic chocolate, and looks fabulous in a red hat. I'm sure many of my readers are familiar with today's interview guest from her blog, which happens to be one of the best hand-on critique blogs I've come across. I love her wit and energy, and that she loves to celebrate (if not create) success stories when aspiring authors find their perfect agent. To give you an idea on how wonderful she is, here is an excerpt from her Twitter profile: "I want to bring out the best in others as well as myself."

Gah! Such a sweetie. And a large portion of the aspiring author world recently celebrated with her when she landed agent Josh Getzler (so funny how she appears in his leading client list with her anonymous name). I threw confetti. And ate a cashew (well, we were out of cashews, so I ate a peanut while imagining it was a cashew).

Did you guess yet (I mean, without looking at the title of this post)? That's right. We have the quintessential madam of anonymity and class here today: Authoress.

Authoress and Jodi Meadows

Authoress writes MG and YA fantasy and science fiction. She has an adoring husband

and a stash of organic chocolate that keeps disappearing. (The chocolate, not the adoring

husband.) She is also a classical pianist, a trained soprano, and an unabashed foodie, and

is represented by Josh Getzler of Hannigan, Salky, Getzler.

You can find her at Miss Snark's First Victim, and follow her on Twitter.

~~~

NAE: Who, as a critiquer/beta-reader, have you learned the most from, and what did you learn from him/her?

A: I've got two answers to this question!

First and foremost, above and beyond, I have learned the most from Jodi Meadows. (I probably sound like the president of some rabid Jodi Meadows Fan Club, but her influence on my writing has been immeasurable.) She took an early draft of my YA dystopian and showed me pretty much everything I had done wrong, from a preponderance of unnecessary prepositional phrases to the fact that, during the climactic scene, it was completely unclear what my protagonist was actually doing. (That was probably because I wasn't quite sure myself.) She is also the Mistress of Worldbuilding, and she pushed me to create a believable world with rules that didn't break themselves.

(She has been known to send me "writing assignments." Oh, yes. Like, "Send me 500 words about the history of your world." This gal is tough!)

So, truly, as I expanded my critique circle, I began to incorporate Jodi's methods while developing my personal critique style. As well as, yanno, applying what I'd learned to my own storytelling.

My second answer is Beth Revis. Beth's a gifted critiquer/editor. In fact, if she weren't already a bestselling author, I'd say she ought to be an editor. She's just THAT GOOD. And I'm including her here for a very specific reason: Back when my dystopian had garnered what felt like a thousand "you're a great writer BUT" rejections, Beth did a detailed critique that showed me, for the first time, HOW my story was broken. It takes a keen eye and a special talent to pick out what a gaggle of agents claim they "just can't put their finger on."

So from Beth I have achieved a heightened awareness of story arc and what makes a plot work. I'm totally not where she is, but one can always aspire!

NAE: What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

A: Read good critiques! Naturally my blog is an excellent way to do that. But it's important to get good critique on your own work from someone you trust, too. I've received, on numerous occasions, emails from people asking for help finding critique partners. Thing is, that's like asking help finding a spouse. You've got to click on both a personal and artistic level before you can critique each other's work. And that's a relationship that takes time to develop.

So, yes. Invest time into finding someone with whom you resonate on both levels. Don't just throw your work out there to strangers (e.g. critique sites, which can be very good, but can also be detrimental, because the relationship aspect can be missing).

NAE: When you critique someone's work, what is your process?

It depends what each person wants, and what stage the manuscript's at. One thing's for sure--I never go through twice. I prefer to work as I go, so if I'm giving a detailed line edit, I add my comments/corrections right in with the text, usually in red (I hate track changes--I mean, HATE--so I usually don't use it). When I'm finished with the line edits, I write an editorial letter outlining my main impressions. I don't go into a lot of detail in the letter, since that's what the line edits are for.

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing?

I am admittedly a grammar nazi, so grammatical errors JUMP at my eyeballs. I don't focus on them, though. I pay attention to things like believable dialogue, clean sentences, and pacing. Plot arc is not my strength, so I'm more likely to comment on the believability--or necessity--of given scenes. As a critter, my strength is definitely the WRITING CRAFT over the story craft. (Which is why it's important to always have more than one person critique your work.)

Question Added by A: Where should your blog readers send their gifts of artisan chocolate and pedicure spas?

A: To Jodi Meadows, of course. She knows my address. *grin*

~~~

Thanks, Authoress!

I love how Authoress brought up Jodi Meadows, whose critiquerly interview can be found here. You can read them both side by side to see how each critiquer compliments the other. And Beth Revis, too, whose critiquerly interview can be found, er, well. Wait for it. It's coming sooner than you think.

As Authoress would say, *grin*.

Part 3 on Critique Pointers

2011-08-30T06:56:00.043-05:00

(Or, Newbie Tips for Critiques with Badda Bing)

There are a few ways for new critiquers to begin their beta-reading, advice-hurling, critiquerly journey. One way is to read critiques that other people do (highly recommended). This post gives some ideas on critiquing dialogue, emotion, and areas where the reader might be pulled out of the story. This one contains some tips on critiquing characters, plot, and sensory details. And now? We’ll go in for the kill. The badda bing. We’ll talk about world building, pacing, and Intern’s favorite topic: scenes.

Find your inner mobster.*
Note: the best definition of badda boom, badda bing left in the comments wins…my undying respect.

1. World Building: Whether the setting is imaginary/alternate universe, historical, contemporary/realistic, there is a specific time and place where the MC resides, and it sets the tone for the entire story. To help your crit partner with this part of story craft, ask yourself the following.

~Do you find yourself drowning in descriptions and metaphors or wishing for more?
~Can you see the setting/world in your mind?
~Do you have enough background to understand the rules of the world, especially when rules are broken?
~Have you entered the world and do you feel like the story is possible within that reality?

2. Pacing: This part of story craft is difficult to explain, but pacing can be seen as the manipulation of time in a story to maximize the impact; or, the rhythm/beat of tension (badda bing), actions, and emotions. Your crit partner may benefit if you ask yourself these questions.

~Do the short, tense moments take up more space than longer, not-as-tense spots? (They should.)
~Is high tension paired with SHOWING, while less tension is paired with TELLING (yes, it’s okay to tell in these places)?
~Do they have spots of tension that appears at regular intervals (e.g., new information/realization, change or deepening of emotion, action/reaction)?
~Do you, as the reader, always want to know what happens next?

3. Scenes: It is the sequence of scenes that lead to the rise of tension, climax, and resolution of the plot. Every one must be essential. Consider these questions (also see INTERN’s 10 reasons to rewrite a scene).

~Does their scene move the plot forward or keep it at a standstill?
~Does their scene reveal something about the character(s) that cannot be revealed in a different place/scene?
~If the writer is forced to give up the scene, would it leave a huge hole in the story/plot?
~Does their scene strengthen the theme or introduce a crucial symbol in a way that no other scene can?

Remember that the more you critique for specific things, like world building, pacing, and scenes, the easier it is for you to find opportunities to improve your own work. Happy critiquing, writerly friends!

Upcoming post: Thursday’s critiquerly interview is a full scene of awesome sauce. Bring chocolate.

*Posting this image does not constitute a book recommendation. And we should all take care not to kill our CP’s writerly spirit.

What Do You Share with Crit Buddies?

2011-08-23T21:06:00.000-05:00

(Or, All I Need is a Laptop. And Maybe Some Wine.)

My laptop has issues. It's already three and a half years old, and I use it every day. The left mouse key (or, is it a touchpad key?) is in dire need of a new spring, and I've actually switched the left and right button functions since the "click" function is kind of important in my writing efforts. And sometimes? The certain letters act up every once in a while. By acting up, I mean "don't work," not unless you press on it several times, and then you might get a whole row of that letter. At times it's just the letter J, but other times, it's the letter S. The battery doesn't stay charged anymore.

But I'm not complaining. Because I love my laptop. Lots.

Because my laptop is how I connect with the writerly/critiquerly buddies. There's just something about a group of people who are as dedicated to the art of writing that fulfills me in a way I don't get anywhere else.

And they get me, my writerly/critiquerly friends. They see my worst writing and my best. So I tend to—you know—share things with them.

Like today when I posted a new chapter on my online critique group board? I also posted an image of the Fountain of Time from Chicago's Washington Park, where this chapter takes place. Oh, and the poem by Henry Austin Dobson that inspired the monument. These two things aren't really well known, but they meant a lot to me when I wrote the scene. And I love how much my crit group appreciates the reference.

This is just one more thing that is so great about online crit buddies.

What have you shared with your writerly pals that you knew they'd get like no one else?

First Ever "Eye of the Critiquer" Blog Awards

2011-08-16T14:25:00.000-05:00

(Or, Summer's Best in Critiquerly Linkage)

Since the launch of Not and Editor in March, I now tend to get really excited when I read other blog posts on critiquing and critique partners. The critique process is so important in the overall writing process, so I've decided to create a blog award for some of the terrific posts out there.

Don't laugh at my graphics. Unless you insist. It's really not meant to be spooky. Unless you like spooky.

Eye of the Critiquer Blog Award

(Yes, this is my eye. I'm watching. I'm always watching.)

While researching some of the blogs with posts about critiquing and critique partners, I noticed a story arc, and so I've organized the award-winning posts into categories. SOooooo, here they are.

~~~

How Critique Partners Bring value: Beth and Ashley March have some convincing reasons for pursuing a critiquerly relationship.

Tips on Finding a Critique Partner: Tori Scott guest posts on Rusty Fischer's blog about using twitter, and Juliette Wade has a few ideas on what a writer should look for in a CP.

Different Types of Critique Partners: Jessica Silva talks about her alpha and beta readers.

Beware! Critique Partners can do Harm: Roni Loren discusses how writers can suffer death by critique.

Parting Ways: Suzan does a fine series about the CP relationship, but in this post, she talks about the dreaded break-up.

~~~

To my well-spoken blog winners: there are no rules to winning. Feel free to post the bling on your blog. Thank you for your informative posts.

Note: Again, I'm always looking for critiquerly posts. If anyone happens upon such a post, send it my way. I'll award Eye of the Critiquer every once in a while, so help me give the props where the props are deserved.

Giving “It's Not Quite There” Feedback

2011-08-09T12:38:00.001-05:00

(Or, You Have Something Stuck in Your Teeth)

We've all been there: when someone has—er—something ooky stuck in their teeth. And you? You're the only one courageous enough to even think about telling them. Because if you don't, who knows how long they'll go around talking to other people before they realize for themselves that it's been there, in plain view, since their last meal? They'll know you saw it and didn't tell them. Sure, maybe you'll feel a little uncomfortable, especially if you don't really know them very well. But you have to. You do.

Even so, you probably wouldn't say, Eww. You have something gross right there. Probably spinach. Did you have spinach today?

Wouldn't it be easier if they just came right out and asked you if they had something stuck in their teeth? The pressure is way reduced. Why yes, yes you do have a little something.

When a writer asks for feedback on their project, they're—stay with me here—asking if they have something stuck in their teeth. The writer may feel somewhat exposed in opening their art to criticism, but they'd like the critiquer to tell them about any spinach issues before someone else sees their work.

And yet, the deft critiquer would never say, Ewww. You do! It's spinach. Never eat spinach while you write. No, the skilled critiquer hands the writer a mirror and helps the person find their own spinach. (*dramatic pause, as if the preceding sentence has deep, proverbial meaning*)

Here's a list that will help you determine your critiquerly deftness.

Cite Grammar Rules: It's rarely helpful to edit a grammar transgression each time it happens when it happens over and over—the writer then relies on the critiquer to find these mistakes every time. A quick google search will return a reputable grammar-rules website for almost any grammatical situation a critiquer might need. Is it lay or lie? Grammar Girl knows. Possessive Pronouns? Not to worry. The Basics are explained. To comma or not to comma? GrammarBook provides rules and examples. With critiquerly feedback mostly e-mailed or online, providing links to these rules is easy and it does two things. Thing the first: it takes the critiquer out of the middle. The critiquer didn't make up the rule, doesn't own the rule, and isn't throwing it at the writer to pick on them. The critiquer is just the person who noticed the possible grammar spinach mistake. Thing the second: a link to the rule provides the writer with a more complete explanation, and most writers—when discovering a tool to help them improve their art—will read more than just that one rule. Therefore, the critiquer has provided the writer with yet another way to improve on their own.

Cite Common Writing Improvement Suggestions: The same concept for grammar rules applies to writing tips, for the same reasons—the critiquer is there to help the writer grow, and not to take out the red cyber pen and light up the page. Feel free to recommend writing craft books that you've read to your critique partner. The best gifts I've gotten from critiquerly writers are referrals to writing craft books. Is the prose too purple or adjective-ridden? The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman may serve as a fantastic reference for your critique partner. Does their plot fall short? Refer them to Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell. Can't pinpoint the overall theme? Have them try Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks. As with grammar rules, writing rules are also easily found online as well. The upper echelon of critiquers share the best tools in their belts with other writers.

State Reactions as Reactions, Not Fact: Opinions are commonly disguised as fact every day, everywhere. When it happens in the critiquerly feedback realm, it can unfortunately come across as judgmental and perplexing. For example,"This section is confusing" is an opinion disguised as fact. And really, what does it mean? "I'm confused in the dialogue section because I'm not sure who is speaking" or "I couldn't get into the scene at first; consider working a transition sentence just before it," are statements that are clear, non-judgmental, and much more helpful. Here's another caveat to this rule: positive opinions stated as fact, while uplifting, are also not as helpful as they could be. "This is so great! You're a genius!" sounds wonderful, but if the critiquer wants to be more helpful to the writer, they'll add why the section is great. "The emotional build really works and the peak in this section brought me to tears; well done" is more clearly stated and it tells the writer exactly what they're doing right.

Re-read Critiquerly Comments for Tone: After working in the Americana business realm for ten plus years, I've learned that every business email has to be re-read for tone, and the necessity for this step is the same—if not amplified—in the writerly/critiquerly realm. The best critiquers re-read their comments to make sure that the tone is helpful, friendly, and approachable. How do you know if your notes are tone-appropriate? Pretend you're in a bad mood and read your comments to see if the person on the receiving end can misconstrue the tone or message, and tweak as necessary. Throw in some personality—it renders the tone amicable (see 3 Feedback Traits I Adore).

Ask the Writer: "My goal is to provide helpful feedback. Let me know what worked and what didn't work for you." This last step helps ensure that all the work the critiquer has done has helped the writer, and it closes a loop. You may not get a response if your feedback hasn't been helpful or if the writer has had a Negative Reaction* to it. However, you'll always get a response when you've helped the writer improve.

*A critiquer cannot control every Negative Reaction by a writer. However, if a critiquer frequently receives Negative Reactions from writers, then the above five tips might help.

Autism Service Dog: Fundraiser

2011-08-04T12:05:00.000-05:00

(Or, My Other Passion)

I promise this will be my only post on this subject, and I already feel uneasy doing ANY personal posts off the writerly/critiquerly topic, but this one is—well—way important to me. I'll try not to get all mushy.

As many of my earliest readers know, my 4-year-old son is autistic. He's a fantastic child and a true blessing in our lives, but he can't communicate. If he wanders off (as he so loves to do), he wouldn't be able to tell people his name. He's getting too big for strollers, doesn't like crowds, and craves heights (Yes, heights. Like, climbing. Oy.).

Luckily, he's been approved to receive an Autism Service Dog from a non-profit [501(c)(3)*] organization, 4 Paws for Ability. These service dogs are wonderful with autistic children both therapeutically—they are true friends, can calm down a child who is agitated, and will follow a child's verbal and non-verbal commands; and for safety reasons—they are trained to track children who wander off, and can be tethered to a child while walking through crowds or public places to avoid a lost-kid situation.

IT'S PERFECT FOR MY SON.

Because 4 Paws for Ability** is a non-profit organization, part of the deal for service dog placement is fundraising. Of the $22,000 it takes to train a service dog, each family is required to raise $13,000. I'm very lucky, because a have huge support from family and friends to help with the effort. We're planning a benefit event in the Chicago area on November 13^th. Right now? We're looking for donation items to raffle or auction off.

BOOKS would be great for raffle/silent auction baskets. Especially signed books. Or gift cards, or anything that you've seen at past benefits. If you know of anyone with such a stash, please contact me (mkaley3 at gmail dot com).

Since some of my writerly/critiquerly friends who cannot attend this event have already asked, I've set up a website for tax-deductible charitable donations here, or you can join Drew's FaceBook group and donate there, but pleasepleaseplease don't feel obligated. I have a long way to go, and I'm sure we'll get there.

After all, I'd do anything for my Drew.

Thanks for reading.

Drew in a time out for climbling: he's really broken up about it.

* Tax ID for 4 Paws for Ability: 31-1625484
**4 Paws finds many of their dogs at local shelters, which I love.

Critique Partner Want Ads Launch

2011-08-01T20:41:00.003-05:00

(Or, Critiquers Unite!)

Oh, yes. We will unite!

But first, kindly indulge me for a teensy moment. I just saw the Paul McCartney in concert at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. I'm a wee star-struck, because this sixty-nine-year-old man? Rocked it. Seriously.

Live and Let Die. Let it Be. Hello, Goodbye.

And not that looks matter, but if they did, he looked fantastic.

I believe in yesterday, Paul. I do. Sigh.

Ahem. On with the Critique! Partner! Blitz!

My friend Mary Frame mentioned a while back that aspiring writers need somewhere to go to find critiquerly assistance, and she suggested (in her infinite, if not goat-like wisdom) that I add a page to this blog for such a purpose. A classified ads, of sorts, for writer/critiquers to find willing and able writer/critiquers so that WiPs can be exchanged.

So of course, I had to turn Mary Frame's stroke of brilliance into reality. The page is added, and we're launching it today.

Please don't list your want ads in the comments of today's blog post, but on the actual Looking for a Critique Partner? page. (Found under "Pages" in the right column.)

The wants ads will remain open indefinitely, so keep checking back, or wait to post until you're ready. I'm also planning to run a quarterly CP want ads blitz, starting with this one. Tell your friends. Tell your CPs (yes, it's healthy and good to have multiple partners). Tell the members of your critique groups.

Bring cookies.

Oh, and happy CP hunting.

Critiquerly Interview with The Rejectionist

2011-07-28T06:54:00.000-05:00

(Or, Helping Someone Move Forward)

Perhaps you know our next guest for her fashion sense, her desperate attempts to save tiny creatures, her erudite ability to educate the masses, or her tales of boosting office morale. Or maybe you love her because she knows what it's like to be a writer, or because she cohabitates with an English-speaking, guest-posting cat. (*waves at Lola pants*)

Maybe you simply know her as Le R. That's right, author friends. The Rejectionist is our bestest of friends today, and she's going to talk about being a critiquer. THAT'S RIGHT I SAID CRITIQUER WHICH IS NOT A WORD IF YOU RELY ON SO CALLED PUBLISHED DICTIONARIES BUT IF YOU LOOK IN THE RIGHT MARGIN OF THIS BLOG YOU'LL KNOW IT REALLY IS A WORD.

Now that we're in the spirit, author friends, feast your eyes on the fabulous Le R.

~~~

The Rejectionist is a writer, freelance editor, and publishing industry escapee.
She blogs at www.therejectionist.com.

~~~

NEA: Who, as one of your critiquers/beta-readers, have you learned the most from, and what did you learn from him/her?

Le R: I learned about editing from diving into it, really. I worked for a literary agent who was a former editor, and was very hands-on and intensive in terms of editing client work, so I learned quite a lot from watching that process. I work as a freelance editor now, and I learn a lot just from working consistently, and I read style manuals on the side. (I'm not joking! It's real nerdy.) Editing is a very, very different skill from writing; there are a lot of great writers who are terrible editors, and plenty of great editors who are not especially good writers. I think the ability to tell a story and the ability to see a story don't necessarily have much to do with each other. The thing that is most delightful to me, whether I am editing someone's novel or someone's college essay, is the detective work of figuring out where they want to go and what is preventing them from getting there, and also the feeling that I am doing something useful for someone who may never have had anyone look at their writing with real attention.

That skill definitely carries over into my own writing--I see all kinds of things now that I never used to notice, things like using the same adjective twenty times in a single manuscript. I always end up deleting a couple hundred adverbs. I think the most useful thing that I've learned, though, in terms of my own writing, is to be tremendously ruthless and to welcome tremendous ruthlessness. I have one dear friend who I trade work with and who I basically share a brain with, and she is not at all shy about telling me when things aren't working. I find that quite useful, and it also means when she tells me something is good, it's good. It is a rare treat to have someone read your work well.

NAE: What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

Le R: Don't look for the story you want to read; look for the story the writer wants to tell.

NAE: When you critique someone's work, what is your process?

Le R: I'm a multi-tasker--for whatever reason, I do well with the written word, and I can look at larger structural issues and nitpicky grammar business at the same time. When I edit professionally, I look at both, and I'll usually focus most on editorial work on the first pass, and then go back through to make sure I didn't miss any smaller problems or typos or what have you. In a perfect world, I would read through first without marking anything up, but I don't always have time.

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing?

Le R: It sounds sort of corny, but I think I gravitate toward the writer. I read so, so many query letters and manuscripts when I worked in publishing, and I read so much unpolished work now as a freelancer, and you develop--or at least I have developed, I don't know if this is always true, not everyone used to be a social worker--this weird ability to see the person producing the work. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they frame a story. I don't mean that in a sinister way--just that I try to think in terms of what would be most useful to that particular person. I don't have to worry at all any more about whether something is "good" or "publishable" or "salable"--it's not my job to sort things, it's my job now to help someone move forward, and anyone can move forward with their writing. So that's how I try to think.

If someone is at a very basic level, where they may not have even a rudimentary understanding of grammar, I can help them get their writing to a place where it at least makes sense grammatically; if someone knows how to put sentences together, but their plot has no internal logic or their characters are all one-dimensional, I'll work on that. Sometimes with student papers, there is a lot of gently noting that their teacher is probably going to figure out they cut and pasted the same sentence forty times throughout their paper to up the word count. I always point out things that people are doing well (even if it's "You used a comma correctly here! Great job!") because if you have never had anyone critique or edit your work before, and it comes back to you with so many comments it looks like the editor hemorrhaged all over your magnum opus, it can be a real shock. I try to remember that. It doesn't cost me anything to be kind, and it means a lot to people. Editing is this funny combination of roles, something like being a shop teacher and a psychotherapist and a witch all at once.

NAE: If there is another question you think I should ask, what is it, and what would your answer be?

Le R: I don't know what the question would be, but I will tell you that I hate copyediting bibliographies with the fire of a thousand suns.

~~~

Thank you, dearest R, for the fantastic responses. Figuring out what the writer is trying to do with the story is key—one of the most basic yet most important tasks of a skilled critiquer.

(We loves Le R, Precious. We loves her.)

3 Mistakes I Made as a Newbie Critiquer, Unveiled

2011-07-26T13:29:00.000-05:00

(Or, Don't Do What I Did)

First of all, vacation was lovely, thank you to all commenters who left me sunny vacation wishes. On our last evening at Bass Lake, we went on a pontoon ride and watched the sun set. Sigh.

While on vacation, I did a lot of thinking about when I first started writing four or so years ago. And what I did? Was to make a lot of mistakes. Thanks to all my writer/critiquer buddies along the way, I now make less mistakes.

So I thought I'd share some of my transgressions with everyone, especially newbie writer/critiquers just starting out, hoping to help others avoid these mistakes, commiserate with those who have, and/or help someone else feel not-so-badly because my mistakes are the worst.

Mistakes upon Mistakes.

Scenario: In the summer of 2008, I decided to write a short story, post it for critiques, and reel in my praise. My goal was to get feedback on my writing because I wanted to write a children's book, but I knew I should brush up on technique first because my sister (the real writer) told me I should. The forum that I had joined required that I critique five other stories before I could post my own.

Mistake the first: I read five stories and wrote up some notes on each. I rated each one basically the same, because really—who was I to tell someone how to use their art? I corrected some misuse of words and such, but I dared not go any further. I'd never even seen a good critique before, and yet I went in and left my empty comments. My biggest mistake? Not researching how to provide helpful feedback before leaving comments on a living, breathing person's work. Those writers needed something that I didn't provide: the needed to know where to hone their craft so they could improve. Sniff. I am so sorry, writers. I failed you!

Mistake the second: The story I subsequently posted brimmed with clever quips, humor, and a serious message. The mom and kid characters pulled directly from my own life (write what you know, right?). And people were going to read something I wrote. My art. Of course everyone would love it.

Until they didn't. Sure, they had some nice remarks on the clever quips, humor, and serious message; but overall, the feedback (in retrospect, very thoughtful and right on) devastated me. Story arc? More interesting subject matter? What?

After about three reviews, I killed it. I deleted it from the forum. I did—it's true. Me and my weakened ego limped back to our muse and said, WTF? We're not great? You mean, it's not that we didn't know what we wanted to do with our lives until now—to find that we were talented writers yet to be discovered? Heh? These people who have said bad things about us, perhaps they didn't know good writing when they read it—which is why they are on the forum themselves, they need help. Ha.

My biggest mistake here? I wasn't ready to develop yet, and I didn't know it until it happened.

In fact, anytime that I resist feedback, I now know that I've got to sit back and wonder why: Does the feedback miss its mark, or hit it entirely? (The words "hit it entirely" echo here.)

Mistake the third: Once my ego and my muse recovered from this incident, we went back and posted another, more interesting story. We wanted to become better and stronger, and we were damned sure were going to do it. And now we'd be ready for the sting of feedback. And sting it did, but this time, we took a collective and deep breath. WE CAN FIX THIS, we said. So we did. We fixed everything that anyone mentioned, no matter how big or small. Perplexed were we, however, when some comments from one critiquer contradicted comments from another. What to do; what. To. Do?

Ugh. My biggest mistake, this time, was that I'd swung all the way to the other side. I still did not know how to use feedback to my advantage. I hadn't acquired that internal filter yet.

So now, I sit on critiques. After I'm calmly able to answer the question, Does this feedback miss it's mark, or hit it entirely? I move on to the next thing: If I change this part of my work, am I making it better or worse? Is it right for my story? Is there another way to approach this issue to fix the identified problem?

~~~

Oh, sigh of sighs. My muse, my ego, and I are so glad we've earned our big girl panties.

Feel free to share your newbie mistakes. (Please. It will make us feel better.)

And We Have a Book Winner

2011-07-14T06:41:00.001-05:00

(Or, Anita. Grace. Howard!)

Our lucky winner of Medeia Sharif's debut YA novel, Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. and a signed bookmark is none other than Anita Grace Howard! Congratulations, Anita. Please email your snail mail address to mkaley3 (at) gmail.com. Thanks to everyone who participated in the give-away, and especially to Medeia Sharif for the signed bookmark.

In other news, I'll be on vacation for the next week or so, visiting lovely Bass Lake in Indiana with my family. My time away will look a little like this:

A fine thank you to Jessica Lei who helped me with a new blog layout, and to Kat Brauer who took the picture in the header, a beautiful sky in Japan.

I'll see you in a couple of weeks. Keep on critiquing! If you need some place to go for a critiquerly fix, visit Authoress's blog for her July's secret agent posts.

Critiquerly Interview with Author Medeia Sharif

2011-07-07T22:48:00.002-05:00

(Or, Release-Day Give Away: Bestest. Ramadan. Ever.)

I met Medeia Sharif several months ago, during the Write-Hope auctions in March, which raised money for the younger victims of the tsunamis in Japan. Medeia's day 8, item 1 caught my eye, and I ended up winning her 50-page critique. Lucky me! Except, I didn't quite have 50 pages to send her because right after winning the auction, I decided to re-do my WiP in first person. (I know, I know. Bad me.)

Shortly thereafter, I decided to re-do some of the main plot elements. And change some characters around. And then? My WiP turned into a completely different story. Medeia faithfully checked in with me, always understanding that I needed just a few more weeks. And well, when all the faerie dust settled, my first 50 pages were finally ready for her just about two weeks ago. And my patient little Medeia, even though I'd come dangerously close to the release date of her debut YA (Bestest. Ramadan. Ever.), provided me with a timely, intelligent critique. Sigh.

To summarize, Medeia is fabulous because:

1. She donates her time to a worthy causes
2. She worked through a wonderful critique for me
3. Her debut YA novel has just been released
4. She seamlessly used critiquer in her interview below

Whew! Oh yes, let's not forget the best part. If you are able to show as much patience as Medeia (while she waited for my first 50), you'll find the give-away contest at the end of this post. *cue: standing ovation*

~~~

Medeia Sharif is a Kurdish-American author and high school English teacher.
She received her master's degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University.
She lives in Miami Beach. Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. Is her debut novel.
She's got a terrific website/blog, she's on Twitter, and posts to Tumblr.

~~~

NAE: After a writer gets back an in-depth critique, what would you recommend in terms of a review/revise process?

MS: I would sit on the revision notes. I never dive into revisions right after a critique. I need time to digest the information. I let things stew for a week or two, and after my mind has wrapped itself around the revision notes and my own thoughts regarding the big picture of the manuscript, I'm ready to revise.

Not too long ago I received copious notes from several readers. I thought, "What am I supposed to do with this?" and "Revising will take too darn long." I felt overwhelmed. Once I let some time go by, I was able to redo my outline, plug in necessary changes, and comfortably swing into motion.

NAE: What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

MS: The best way to develop critique skills is to watch others critique, whether they do it verbally or through note-taking. Both online and in person I observed how other people gave feedback. After my observations my critiques became more detailed and, based on people's gratitude, more helpful. And as time goes by, I'll get better at critiquing since I'm still learning about the process.

NAE: When you critique someone's work, what is your general process?

MS: If it's a chapter, I read it several times. If it's a longer piece, I'll read it once or twice at a slower pace. I line edit as I go along—I can't help it when I see an error—but I know I don't catch all the mistakes since I'm more focused on the story than the grammar.

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing?

MS: I'll take note of everything, but I gravitate towards plot and pacing. This stems from being a plotter; before I start a WiP I spend quite a bit of time creating spreadsheets to see where action turns.

Question added by MS: What qualities should one look for in CPs?

MS: Right now I receive critiques from people who are in various stages of writing. They are newbies, unpublished but have been writing for years, agented, soon-to-be-published, and published. All of them provide valuable input. They're dedicated writers who are sincerely interested in the writing and publishing process. Basically, you need to find people who have a passion for writing and who keep up with the market. In addition to craft, CPs should be able to discuss trends, age levels, genre, and other concerns that affect a manuscript. They'll all be at different levels of the critiquing spectrum, but you need to have a few seasoned critiquers in the bunch to lead and inspire everyone.

~~~

Thanks, Medeia!

Give Away Contest & Rules

PRIZE: A copy of Medeia's YA debut, BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. along with a signed bookmark (no, not signed by me, silly. Medeia signed it!). This prize is a matching set. So gorgeous together. Oh yes, you want this. Your friends will be so, so jealous.

TO ENTER: Just leave a comment!

That's it. The contest ends Sunday (7/10) at midnight, CST. Winner will be selected via random number generator. Good luck!

Critique Until It's Automatic

2011-06-30T08:32:00.000-05:00

(Or, Time for a Workout)

One of my lovely Crits for Water guests, Brigid Kemmerer, suggested if a writer wants to hone their critiquerly skills, they need to critique until it's automatic.

And I have the perfect place for practice today. Visit Krista's blog, where she's hosting An Agent's Inbox contest. There are 20 entries, each with a query letter and an excerpt. See which entries catch your eye and leave a few comments for the writers. It looks like fun.

If you need a few suggestions on what to watch for, see this post about dialogue, emotional reactions, and getting pulled out of the story. Or this post about characters and sensory details. And don't forget to be honest, thoughtful, and show some personality.

3 Feedback Traits I Adore

2011-06-28T10:05:00.000-05:00

(Or, There’s no Faking a Critique)

Sometimes my critique group is demanding. There’s almost always something posted to be critiqued. But then again, sometimes? I simply don’t have it in me. Or I’m not in the mood. That’s right. Sometimes I’m not in the mood to do a critique. And if I force myself to do a crit, the time it takes drags on. I can’t get into the story, can’t feel the characters, and I end up making notes about simple, surfacy things.

I can usually detect the warning signs when I’m not in a critiquerly mood, such as:

·         Taking multiple breaks while reading to check twitter
·         Coming up with ideas for blog posts
·         Re-reading a passage several times and feeling like giving up

Although I’ve critiqued through some of these situations, I try not to ignore these warning signs. If I’m not in a place where I can provide the best critique possible, it’s best to step away. Because If I’m going to take the time to provide feedback, I’d like to make sure it’s helpful and worthwhile to the writer.

And how does a person provide helpful, worthwhile comments? We’ve already discussed a few things that a critiquer can comment on when providing feedback here and here, but we haven’t discussed how to comment. When I look at the critiques that I have received, the ones that make the most difference to me and my writing have some comment elements. Three particular elements are common among my most worthy CPs, who bring these traits to the table almost every time.

~~~

Honesty. Writer/critiquer groups maintain Circles of Trust held together by complete honesty. When someone points out a flaw, most writers are grateful for the comment (okay—maybe it stings just a little, but then gratefulness takes over). Why? Because we want to polish our work, and do a better job than we could have done all ourself. Of course, it’s most helpful when critiquers phrase feedback in positive ways so that instead of arguing with the comment we get, we can hear their message and correct the issue.

A short “this is perfect as is,” rarely comes off as genuine, and instead might come off as, “I really don’t have time for in-depth commentary, but from what I’ve skimmed, you’re doing just fine.” However, there are times when a critiquer cannot find any significant flaws to point out but they still comment on some positive aspects, or talk about how they appreciate the themes or imagery, such as “I loved how you began and ended the chapter with the same imagery.” These pointed comments help the writer know that the critiquer has taken their time to look for issues, didn’t find anything to improve, but wanted to make sure the writer knows that they appreciated the artistic devices used.

Thoughtful Reflection. There is nothing more endearing to a writer when they can see that their critiquer has taken time to think through different aspects of my writing.

·         “I thought about this chapter while walking on the treadmill”
·         “When I re-read this chapter, I was able to catch so much more than I did the first time around”
·         “This passage is comparable to the writing in (some published work) that I think you should read”
·         Any commentary on plot, character development, or moral message

These comments help the writer to know that the critiquer is invested in their work.

When my critiquer thoughtfully reflects on my work, I tend to fall in writerly love with them and want nothing more than to return the favor.

Personality. A critique partner might be across the country, or may reside on a completely different continent. But the CPs with whom a writer feels closest share a bit of their personality within the critique comments. Whether they are humorous, share personal trials and tribulations, or their energy bubbles through, when they reveal a little bit of themselves within the critique it does a few things.

First, the ability to know the critiquer better makes critical analysis just a little easier to take, because then it’s not just a lot of words summarizing weaknesses (ouch!)—it’s a dynamic, breathing person who responded to a writer and who wants that writer to succeed. Just like we need voice in our writing, we need personality in our critiques.

Second, it makes reading the critique a lot of fun. What’s the next comment going to be? Will it make me laugh? Will a cleverly worded compliment make me blush? It's like opening a present each and every time.

~~~

Getting to the point that each and every critique comes together with these three traits take work, patience, and practice. But it’s worth it.

What elements/traits do you find most helpful within a critique?

A Simple Post

2011-06-23T21:29:00.001-05:00

(Or, So Much to Say in so Few Words)

I've done so many interviews lately, I hardly know how to stop. So for my sake, as I head back into regular posts for a while, pretend that I'm interviewing you. You don't even have to answer the questions. Unless you want to.

NAE: Do you have a critique group or a few good critique partners? Because if you don't, then you should read all the interviews we've had on this blog one more time. And then get yourself one, or maybe a few. Here's a few ideas on how to find one.

Because? They pull you up when you're down. They point out the flaws you don't see. They push you to your next level. They yank you higher than the highest point you've ever imagined.

Even when you suck and don't know it, they teach you how not to suck so bad. And then one day, you don't suck anymore. It's true.

That's all for now. Oh, except this: hearts to all my critique partners/mentors/betas. I owe youse guys so much.

Critiquerly Interview with YA Author Sarah J. Maas

2011-06-20T18:38:00.004-05:00

(Or, Be the Critiquer who Opens Doors)

Sarah J. Maas, a young adult writer whose debut comes out next fall, is (pull out your Kleenex) my final Crits for Water interview (*sniff*). She's got a 50-page critique up for auction starting Tuesday, June 21^st. And thanks to everyone who has already donated, the Crits for Water campaign has raised over $6,000. What does that mean? 300 people (including kids) now have access to clean water. Wow.

Sarah is also working together with Susan Dennard next month in offering a free YA aspiring writers workshop. You can read about it on Sarah's blog here or on Susan's blog. I love, love how fantastic these two are in giving to Crits for Water, and how dedicated they are in giving back to the to-be-discovered writers. It's like whip cream with chocolate fudge atop a scoop of ice cream—a beautiful thing.

Sarah is another author represented by Tamar Rydzinski at the Laura Dail Literary Agency (we met her agency sister, Brigid Kemmerer here). And Sarah? Knows how to lend much needed support to her critique partners. She opens doors.

~~~

Sarah J. Maas is the author of QUEEN OF GLASS, a YA re-imagining of Cinderella, in which Cinderella
is an infamous assassin forced by a corrupt empire to fight for her freedom. It will be published
by Bloomsbury in Fall 2012. She lives in Southern California, and over the years, she has developed
an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet,
drinks too much coffee, and watches absolutely rubbish TV shows. When she's not busy writing
YA fantasy novels, she can be found exploring the wonders of Southern California.
(She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog.)

~~~

NAE: After a writer gets back an in-depth critique, what would you recommend in terms of a review/revise process?

SM: The first thing I'd advise a writer to do is to Do Nothing. Well, they should first thank their CP for sending them an in-depth critique, because whether or not you liked what they said about your book, they DID put in a lot of time towards critiquing. But then I'd let the critique sit for a day or two. Mull things over. If you dislike what your CP suggested, are your gut reactions actually logical, or are they done out of a resistance to change?

Really try to take a step back from your manuscript and see things through the eyes of your critiquer. Be brave and fearless and brutal--if you're against a certain suggestion, try to figure out WHY. Is it for the good of the book or because you don't want to murder your darlings? If you have questions, ask your CP. Don't be afraid to get a dialogue going--brainstorm together, and discuss the issues your CP had with the manuscript.

One of my critique partners, Susan Dennard, sent me a FIVE-page critique for my debut novel, QUEEN OF GLASS. She outlined what she thought worked well and the spots that could use some improvement/cutting/expansion. After I'd had some time to process her critique, we scheduled a skype chat and wound up talking for well over two hours about how I could revise the book. Once I spoke with her, I not only felt GREAT about the revisions I was going to do, but also felt like I had someone that I could bounce ideas off of in case I got stuck again. In the end, Susan's suggestions about the manuscript really took it to the next level.

NAE: What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

SM: Always make sure you and your CP are on the same page in terms of the level of feedback that you want. Some people don't want line edits--others do. The best kind of CP relationships start out with both of you understanding what you want to get out of the exchange--and the level of critique you'd like.

Also: be sensitive. That doesn't mean go easy on your CP, but if you're making a particularly major suggestion, phrase it nicely. No one wants to have their work ripped to shreds, and no one appreciates snarky comments. Remember that while you're both here to improve your work, you're also there to bolster each other's spirits. Be someone who opens doors--not closes them.

NAE: When you critique someone's work, what is your general process?

SM: I first ask my CP what level of critique they want: line edits, general feedback, focus on specific sections, etc., and then go into reading with that in mind. If I'm doing line edits, then I'll usually read the ms twice: once to get a good sense of the book's voice, meaning, and pacing, and the second time to do line edits (so that my cutting is in-tune with the feel of the book). If a CP needs the ms back from me ASAP, then I'll just do one super-round (which requires a ton of coffee/focus, lol). I take notes as I go along--both in the manuscript (via track changes) and in a larger word doc/email. When I'm finished, I'll expand more on my larger comments and fully explain the reasoning behind my suggestions. And then I always make sure my CPs know I'm available to chat about the revision suggestions/help them in any way!

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing?

SM: Even if my CPs ask me not to line-edit, I have a hard time turning off the part of my brain that always looks out for run-on sentences, inconsistencies, and typos. But usually I'm drawn to pacing--do things happen too quickly or too slowly, do vital bits of character info happen too soon or too late, should X-scene be moved to Y-section, etc.. I feel like pacing feeds into other essential parts of the book (characterization, plot, world-building).

Question added by SM: How did you find your critique partners?

SM: Most of mine were online friends before we became CPs--though some were acquaintances who just wanted to swap (and later became good friends). I gravitate towards CPs who write similar stuff to my own--YA fantasy, sci-fi, or paranormal. Mostly just because they're usually really well-versed in the genres and understand where I'm coming from with my writing and what I hope to accomplish.

~~~

Thank you, Sarah. I love that you skype with your CPs. Great idea! (Dear CPs: Hint, hint?)

Again, you can find Sarah's critique up for auction Tuesday, June 21^st.

And thanks to all the NAE readers for coming along on my Crits for Water journey, for reading and commenting on all the interviews, and for donating to the campaign. I heart you guys for it.

If you didn't get a chance to donate to Kat Brauer's campaign but you'd like to help provide clean water to someone you'll never meet but who will owe you the world, here's the charity: water information again.

Critiquerly Interview with Author Miranda Kenneally

2011-06-15T21:18:00.000-05:00

(Or, Lose to Grow)

By now, you probably know that I heart (<~not a verb, but it should be) my Crits for Water interviews. If you don't know about Crits for Water, read the blog post that started it all. And this week? I have a semi-surprise interview guest, because she was not on the original schedule. And when I say schedule, I think of the word in British dialect, "shed-dual." Just because.

But I digress. Miranda Kenneally, yet another one of Sara Megibow's clients, saw the Crits for Water campaign last week and decided to throw in (not one, but) two 25-page critiques. These critiques are up for drawing on June 16^th, and everyone who enters the drawing contributes to saving the lives of people (including small, tiny children) who currently do not have clean water. It's awesomeness waiting in the sidelines (my football reference—duly noted—just for Miranda).

~~~

Miranda Kenneally is the author of CATCHING JORDAN, a contemporary YA novel about football,
femininity, and hot boys, coming from Sourcebooks Fire in late 2011. She enjoys reading and writing
young adult literature,and loves Star Trek, music, sports, Mexican food, Twitter, coffee, and her
husband. Follow her on Twitter or Facebook. Miranda is represented by Sara Megibow at
Nelson Literary Agency.

~~~

NAE: Who, as one of your critiquers/beta-readers, have you learned the most from, and what did you learn from him/her?

MK: I've learned a ton from Jennifer Shaw Wolf and Sarah Skilton, who are my agency mates at Nelson Literary Agency! Jennifer taught me that you must always know what your main character wants most. That will help you focus your plot. Sarah taught me that subtlety is key. Give your readers credit: they are smart. Don't write out everything they need to know. Make them think a bit. Also, my friend Trish Doller taught me that every story needs some sort of sacrifice, because that's what happens in life. It can be big or small, but the character needs to lose something in order to grow and become a better person.

B. After a writer gets back an in-depth critique, what would you recommend in terms of a review/revise process?

MK: The first thing to remember is that this is YOUR book. You must decide which comments should be implemented and which to disregard. A big mistake I made at first was taking everyone's suggestions. I ended up with bipolar characters and a weirdo all-over-the-place plot. When you first get comments back, take some time to really think over them. If you hate them, you hate them, and that's fine. Just forget about the critique and move on. Always wait a couple days before moving forward with edits. If you have a real hankering to write, work on some other project, or free-write in your main character's voice.

Always remember to say thank you to anyone who gives you a critique! Nothing hurts worse than when I give my time to critique someone's work, or give them advice, and then I never hear from them again.

NAE: What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

MK: Read, read, read. Figure out what works in published books and what doesn't. Then apply those lessons to your own writing, as well as to your critiquing process.

NAE: When you critique someone's work, what is your general process?

MK: I usually line edit as I go along. I generally know how plots should look and how they should develop, and I keep a watch out for certain things as I go along. When I'm done, I usually think about the book for a day or two before responding to the author.

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing?

MK: Generally I look at plot structure and specificity in the writing. Those are the most important parts of a book!

~~~

Thank you, Miranda, for your insights. I love your suggestion of free-writing in your character's voice. I might just try that. Maybe even right now.

Remember to spike (Okay, okay. You caught me: 2^nd football reference.) on over to the Crits for Water site and enter for a chance to win one of the two 25-page critiques by Miranda. And watch for Miranda's CATCHING JORDAN debut later this year.

Critiquerly Interview with Author Kendra Highley

2011-06-13T21:00:00.002-05:00

(Or, Giving the Manuscript a Rest)

You may have been waiting for this Crits for Water auction, the one where YA author Kendra Highley has donated a full YA/MG manuscript (ADDED 6/15: or Adult Fantasy/Paranormal/Soft Sci Fi). Yes. You read that correctly. A full. Bid on it starting Tuesday, June 14^th.

Kendra is represented by Shana Cohen at Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency, Inc., and she’s got a lot of critiquerly spirit. Read on to see her methods of critiquing genius.

~~~

Kendra Highley--a mom, cookie-baker-extraordinaire and hopeful romantic--is a

YA writer with a penchant for fantastic tales.

You can visit her website at www.kendrachighley.com , or look for her on Twitter.

~~~

NAE: After a writer gets back an in-depth critique, what would you recommend in terms of a review/revise process?

KH: After getting back a critique, particularly a somewhat tough one, I always suggest time. Meaning, take a few days to think about the review before you do anything with it. My own kneejerk reaction is to start fixing too quickly. I’ve found that giving the manuscript a rest helps me be more objective about the things that need real work, places that need smoothing, and places my gut tells me to leave alone. After a few days, I roll up my sleeves and go through the critique at a high level, then chapter-to-chapter to see if there are any themes I need to fix throughout. Once I’m done with the big stuff, I focus on sentence level issues. I find if I break it down, piece-by-piece, the revisions aren’t as overwhelming.

NAE: What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

KH: Don’t get lost in the weeds. It’s tempting to fix small things, like punctuation errors and sentence structure. Sure, those things need called out, but…Not. Every. Single. One. Instead, point out recurring issues once (or twice) then focus on characterization, voice, plot, world-building and general story-telling. Lots of published books break well-known writing/craft rules but what the best have in common is that they tell compelling stories.

NAE: When you critique someone’s work, what is your general process?

KH: I do two things– I do line edit to an extent as I read. If the writer has some basic problems with grammar and structure, I put some focus to it. But I also try to comment on the big things as I go along as well (i.e. “This character isn’t in voice.” Or “That plot point seems out of place.”). Finally, I write a summary commentary about the overall manuscript.

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing?

KH: I do love my grammar (I actually have a t-shirt that says “Grammar Punk” on it), but I’m really big on character. Do they sound right? Do they ever do things that make me raise an eyebrow and ask “would they really do that?” Are they unique enough? Is the voice strong? That’s what makes a manuscript stand out to me.

Question added by KH: How many critiques/betas do I need?

KH: Honestly, that’s a question everyone asks and the answer varies for all of us. I think once you develop a strong crit-partner group, you’ll know who’s going to help with what and at what point you can call the manuscript “reviewed enough.” Until then, just use your gut. If something still seems to be missing/not working, one more pair of eyes might help.

~~~

Thanks, Kendra. Um. I want that Grammar Punk t-shirt. Or maybe we could get t-shirts made more specifically for Not an Editor. Critiquer Punk. What do you think?

Alright, folks. Lots of reasons to take a look at Kendra’s FULL YA MS (ADDED 6/15 OR MG OR Adult fantasy/paranormal or soft sci fi) auction on June 14^th, not the least of which is that clean water saves lives.

Critiquerly Interview with Author Sherry Thomas

2011-06-12T19:55:00.000-05:00

(Or, If the Old Doesn’t Go, the New Doesn’t Come)

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned how thrilled I am to play a small part in the Crits for Water campaign, where authors and agents donate critiques to raise money for people who don’t have clean water. My tiny role is to interview some of these generous agents and authors—people dedicated to saving lives. And let me say, thrilled doesn't cover it. Honored. Humbled. Yep.

And today, we’ll meet historical romance author Sherry Thomas who has donated a three-chapter critique that is up for auction on Monday, June 13^th. She’s witty, she’s wise, and she’s classy.

~~~

Lisa Kleypas calls Sherry Thomas “the most powerfully original historical romance author working

today.” Her books have been on best-of-the-year lists of both Publishers Weekly and Library Journal.

In 2010, RWA honored her work Not Quite a Husband with a prestigious RITAÒ award.

Her story is all the more interesting given that English is Sherry's second language--she has come a

long way from the days when she made her laborious way through Rosemary Roger's Sweet Savage

Love with an English-Chinese dictionary. She enjoys creating stories. And when she is not

writing, she thinks about the zen and zaniness of her profession, plays computer games with

her sons, and reads as many fabulous books as she can find.

You can find out more about her on her website, her blog, or Twitter.

~~~

NAE: After a writer gets back an in-depth critique, what would you recommend in terms of a review/revise process?

ST: Everyone’s process is different, so I can’t recommend, but can only describe my own process.

I read through all the major issue comments first, sometimes several times. And if necessary, I speak to the critiquer (agent, editor, partner, etc.) so as to better gauge how strongly they feel about certain issues.

For example, recently, my agent read a manuscript of mine, which she loved, but then she pointed out that there is a “potential plot flaw” in the third act. I am rather dense, so “potential plot flaw” reads to me as “we might have a issue, we might not.” But in talking to her, I realized that “potential plot flaw” means “Houston, we have a problem.”

After I have understood all the major issues, I sit on it for a bit, if I have the luxury of time. And even if I don’t, I still do the same. The subconscious is a writer’s greatest friend. But the intricacies of a story needs time to percolate through the subconscious, to come out the other end as ideas and fixes.

In the above example, I rewrote, from scratch, about 2/3 of the third act. (I am a huge fan of revising from scratch. Don’t hold on to the already done if the already done isn’t working. Room for improvement is infinite, but you have to be willing to chuck stuff to make that room. The Chinese say, “If the old doesn’t go, the new doesn’t come.”)

Once I have the structural problems fixed, then its on to interior decoration, i.e., the prose, the details, and all the little things that elevate the story to the next level of reading experience.

NAE: What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

ST: Develop the ability to see what the writer’s strengths and objectives are. In other words, I wouldn’t worry so much about romantic connection early on if the book is intended as a mystery. And I wouldn’t insist someone begin a book in media res if it is clear that s/he has a voice that can carry a more leisurely narrative.

When I critique, my goal is to help the writer get where s/he wants to go, rather than leave my imprint on the story. That’s what my own stories are for.

NAE: When you critique someone’s work, what is your general process?

ST: I read it once. And then, I’ll sit on it for a few days, just like with my own work. After that I’ll read it again and this time comment as I go.

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing?

ST: Grab-me-ness. I don’t want to read a book. I want a book to carry me away. Plot, characters, emotions, prose—any one of the above done particularly well will suck me in, although all of them done well together will ensure that I stay there.

So during the time I sit on it after the first read, it’s usually for my subconscious to give to me, in words, where the book needs improvement in pulling me in and making me stay. Is it pacing? Is it something wonky with the set-up? Are characters acting in a way that makes me scratch my head? I will address everything that gets in the way of my reading experience.

As for grammar, unless the mistakes are egregious, I leave it to the copyeditors.

Question added by ST: Which critical advice do you take and which don’t you?

ST: The short answer is that I am willing to make almost all the small changes and almost all the big changes.

Because my critique partner is so much better at grammar than I am—she’d worked as a copyeditor at one time—I always take all the grammatical corrections she gives. And because her prose is a thing of beauty, I follow her advice on sentence structure. And if she says this paragraph needs to have more impact, I see what I can do to give it that additional impact.

Or, for example, when my editor wants me to add a few sentences here and there for the sake of clarity.

So those are the small changes.

Big changes are when someone says flat out that this story is not working for her. Usually it is editors/agents who will tell you this, because their reputation depends on your work and because they are in a position to tell you so.

At this point you will need to ask yourself whether you trust this person. I trust my editor and my agent completely. I know they have loved my work in the past. I know they want to love this one just as much. And if given all that, they say, nope, it’s majorly not working, then I am willing to dig deep and make the big changes.

It is on the medium-size, scene-level changes that I very much use my discretion. If I like the advice, I’ll use it. If I think it doesn’t accord with my vision for the story or my taste, then I feel free to ignore it.

~~~

Thanks, Sherry for the spectacular interview. Love the “grab-me-ness” aspect that you look for when you critique—to be carried away. It’s what I hope for in any novel I read.

Don’t forget to check out Sherry’s Crits for Water auction on June 13^th, where a lucky bidder will win a three-chapter critique. And for those of us dying to read some of Sherry’s work, HIS AT NIGHT looks amazing:

Critiquerly Interview with Author Brigid Kemmerer

2011-06-09T19:29:00.001-05:00

(Or, Critique ‘til it’s Automatic)

With only a few more Crits for Water interviews left, I’m excited that Brigid Kemmerer is able to visit us today with an interview. These authors and agents generously donatetheir critique time for a fantastic cause: saving lives through Charity: Water.

Brigid has a fantastic debut novel coming out in 2012, and she’s offering a 5,000-word critique (all YA genres except for historical or SF) up for a drawing on Thursday, June 10^th. How terrific can she be? She’s been through the pre-discovery trenches, landed wonderful Tamar Rydzinski as her agent, and made her first sale. From the sounds of her novel, it's right up my alley.

And I think she does a great job explaining how critiquing helps.

~~~

Brigid Kemmerer is the author of ELEMENTAL, a story in which a girl becomes entangled with four

brothers who control the elements, and their battle with those who want them dead, coming in

June 2012 from K Teen, a new imprint of Kensington Books. Brigid lives in a suburb of Baltimore with

her very tolerant family. You can find more about her on her blog and on Twitter.

~~~

NAE: After a writer gets back an in-depth critique, what would you recommend in terms of a review/revise process?

BK: I think the first thing any writer needs to do upon receiving a critique is sit back and let it sink in. Let the knee-jerk wear off. Writing is personal. Seeing someone's criticisms all over your manuscript is like watching someone smack your child for mouthing off in public. Yeah, you know your kid shouldn't be doing that, but how dare someone else pick up on it and correct it?

NAE: What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

BK: Keep doing it. Seriously. Keep swapping crits. Learn what pisses you off -- so you can avoid pissing off other people. Learn how to pick out the good things and emphasize them. (Sometimes we're so focused on what doesn't work that we forget to heap on praise for what does.) Keep critiquing work until you start critiquing things automatically. (In your head, people.) Published books. Magazine articles. Whatever. Personally, I can't watch bad television anymore, because I find myself wanting to tear the scriptwriters a new you-know-what.

NAE: When you critique someone’s work, what is your general process?

BK: I generally prefer to do critiques piece-meal, meaning chapter by chapter, until someone proves they've got the chops. As a writer, nothing is worse than sending your work out there and hearing nothing but crickets -- forever. So I try to avoid taking on an entire manuscript blind. Especially if you're just starting out, save yourself the hassle. Don't commit to a full manuscript -- which is seriously going to take at least 8 hours of your time -- when there's a chance you might read the first chapter and want to hang yourself. (And it doesn't have to be bad writing. One guy asked me to beta his work. He said it was a YA paranormal romance, and he had an agent, so I said sure. I get the MS, and it's hardcore sci-fi. So not for me. So far outside my wheel house that I wouldn't even be a good critique partner for it.) Commit to one chapter, give honest feedback, and go from there.

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing?

BK: I always line edit, because I just can't help myself. If something is a glaring repetitive error (like putting punctuation outside the quotes), I'll mark up the first few pages and then put a comment for the writer to fix it. I carefully watch for pacing and plot issues. I write YA, and I think it's a demanding genre because you can't cut corners. Teenagers can smell BS a mile away. If your character acts in a way that doesn't make sense, everyone is going to see right through it. So I'm tough on character motivation, too. Over the last year, I've started thinking about bigger scale things, like series potential and character depth and intertwining plot arcs, because brainstorming those things with other people is a great way to get my own creativity flowing.

Question added by BK: How do you go about finding a good critique partner?

BK: Finding a good critique partner is like finding a husband. (Or wife.) You've got to put yourself out there. You need to be honest, and reveal your true self. You're going to get your heart stomped, a ton of times. You're going to hate some of them. You're going to feel lukewarm about others. You're going to hurt when you have to let them down. But then -- one day lightning will strike. You'll read something that feels like it's a match to your own writing. You'll both be mature, stable adults. You'll decide you can live with the minor irritants ("How many times can I tell her to STOP USING TWENTY-WORD DIALOGUE TAGS?!") because the writing makes it worth it. Her feedback on your own stuff makes it worth it. And when you succeed together, it makes it worth it.

~~~

Brigid, thank you so much for sharing your experiences with critiques. I have some wonderful crit partners, as well, and they are so worth it.

Remember to stop by the Crits for Water website on Thursday to get in on Brigid’s 5,000-word drawing. Good luck!

Critiquerly Interview with Agent Sara Megibow

2011-06-07T14:52:00.002-05:00

(Or, Bringing out More OOMPH)

With all these Crits for Water interviews I’ve been doing, you may have noticed a pattern among some of the donating authors, beside the fact that they are a heap of stellarness clicking behind their keyboards. Not surprisingly, many of them have a common denominator: Sara Megibow serves as their literary agent, who I’ve come to realize is one of the sweetest people. Ever.

And? She’s got a 1,250-word critique up for auction Wednesday, June 8^th, open to writers of any genre that she represents (see her bio below). *cue the jaw drop*

ADDED 6/9: In addition to the 1,250-word crit, Sara has added a 30-minute phone consult! Bidding ends tonight at midnight EST.

Oh, wait. One more thing: she’s here for an interview today (I know, not much suspense there because of the title of this post. Put on your pretend face).

~~~

Sara has worked at the Nelson Literary Agency since 2006. As the Associate Literary Agent,

Sara is actively acquiring new clients! The Nelson Literary Agency specializes in representing

young adult fiction, romance (all genres except category and inspirational), science fiction and

fantasy, commercial and women’s fiction (including chick lit) and high concept literary fiction.

Nelson Literary Agency is a member of AAR, RWA,SFWA and SCBWI. Please visit the agency’s

website for submission guidelines, feel free to visit Sara’s Publisher’s Marketplace site to

learn more about her personal tastes and recent sales, find her on FaceBook, and on Twitter.

~~~

NAE: After a writer gets back an in-depth critique, what would you recommend in terms of a review/revise process?

SM: There is an element in the revision process of "trust your gut". My suggestion is to read revision notes carefully whether they come from a critique partner, an agent or an editor. Then, identify what makes you (as the artist) say "YES! This is exactly what I want this novel to say" vs. "No, this doesn't quite speak to me." Any time I offer editorial advice to my clients, they know upfront that whatever I suggest is open for discussion. It's their art after all.

Once the writer has a clear idea of which notes to pursue, there are a couple of options. One is to take a blank document and simply rewrite. Rewrite the opening (often the biggest problem area of a manuscript), rewrite a chapter, rewrite a scene, rewrite the ending. Pick one and simply rewrite. Then, compare the two documents side by side and feel out which tells the story most authentically. A writer can rewrite one time, two times or 50 times - this is a really helpful tool in identifying what works and what doesn't work for a story.

Another suggestion would be - re-read your entire book and work on it element by element. Read once for characterization - make sure the characters develop intelligently and that their character motivation is strong. Then, read once for plotting - are the plots big enough and do they grow and resolve in an engaging manner. Then, read once for world building - does the 9 foot alien on page 23 have to duck every time s/he enters a room? This is another way to tackle revisions. It's time consuming, but thorough. Incidentally, I use a process similar to this second method when I write critique notes for my clients.

NAE: What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

SM: Interestingly, my critique skills come from reading the slush pile. I learn as much about objectivity from reading new writers as I do from reading published authors. Most people don't have access to an agent's slush pile though (nor should they for proprietary reasons). But, reading work from other writers will always be helpful. Volunteer to read 10-15 partials from a local writing group, network with your local RWA, SCBWI or SFWA chapter, meet writesr at a local library or investigate www.critters.org.

Another online suggestion I have: Cyber-stalk evileditor.blogspot.com to learn how agents and editors review a submission!!!! Wonderful stuff, that!

NEA: When you critique someone’s work, what is your general process?

SM: Personally I read a novel 2-3 times before attacking it with an eye toward revisions. This is one reason why I have to love love love love a novel in order to offer representation to the author. A ton of work goes in to getting something ready for submission and I have to love what I am reading the 500th time as much as I do the first time.

After getting a really good sense of the novel, I make general notes in a word doc. These might be along the lines of "make the character motivation for the heroine clearer" or "make sure the secondary plot is stronger in the middle." These would be overall ideas that are associated with big themes.

Then, I usually do a line edit. Not always, but usually. In a line edit, I read carefully for consistency and impact. These notes will be "make this moment bigger" or "make sure the fantasy element is clear to the reader at this point." Sometimes I pick out mistakes like "the school was called something else in chapter one - make sure it's consistent." And sometimes I point out errors in the narrative voice - "don't tell the reader what the hero is thinking right here. Show us instead - what does a nervous hero DO?"

The combination of general notes and line edit notes are my whole process. Even after all this work, I likely go back and forth with a client a few times before we're ready to press "ok."

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing (e.g., plot, grammar, characters, emotions, etc.)?

SM: I tend to focus a lot on impact. There are several rounds to most critiques, as I outline above. But, at the point that I am doing my final read of a manuscript, it's likely to be about 95% ready for submission (not always, but usually). So, plot is probably solid, character motivation is probably powerful, world building is probably organic and engaging.

Polishing, to me, is about impact. If the author has done his/her job then I am looking for places in the novel to bring out more OOOMPH. I look for pivotal moments and see if I am crying or laughing or holding my breath while reading. I also look for overall message to gauge whether it's breathtaking. Impact - that's my motto.

Question added by SM: "If my relationship with my crit partner isn't working well, how long should I stay with them?"

SM: My answer? Not one more day.

Stay friends, but politely move along to find a crit partner that DOES work for you. It's such an intimate and important relationship. Not all authors have crit partners, but if YOU work better with one then by all means find someone who is right for YOU.

www.critters.org is a great place to find the right critique partner.

Or, www.bksp.org or www.writers.net.

Or your local RWA, SCBWI or SFWA chapter.

~~~

A gadzillion thank yous to Sara for stopping by. I love Sara’s "polishing the OOMPH" tactic, which I've used in critiques. I like to call it pumping up the volume. Ah yea.

Please head over to KatBrauer’s Crits for Water Auction website to bid on Sara’s critique before it’s too late. Or feel free to donate in general. Because, clean water?

Saves lives.

Critiquerly Interview with Author Kat Zhang

2011-06-05T22:23:00.002-05:00

(Or, Feeling a Spark)

Kat Zhang is another lovely Crits for Water auctioning author, giving a 5,000-word YA critique, up for auction here on June 6th. I love finding out about the newest authors out there, covering their critiquing style even before their books hit the shelves, and Kat has this intrigue-y-ness about her that draws me in. You’ll see. Check out her blog.

An English major, Kat is represented by Emmanuelle Morgen of Judith Ehrlich Literary Management.

Her book HYBRID--about a girl with two souls--has recently sold to Harper Children's in a 3-book deal.

She also performs as a Spoken Word poet, contributes to Let The Words Flow--a site where aspiring

writers may learn more about story craft and the publishing process, and blogs privately at the The Katacomb.

~~~

NAE: After a writer gets back an in-depth critique, what would you recommend in terms of a review/revise process?

KZ: I'd recommend waiting a day before starting the revising process, or at least spending that day planning/making a list of changes to make and such instead of actually diving into the manuscript. Often, sleeping on a critique letter helps me figure things out better. Of course, sometimes you get a spark of inspiration right after reading the suggestions, and it would be a pity to waste that ;) Other times, though, what I *thought* was a marvelous idea 5 minutes after reading the critique turns out to be not so great the next day, after I've pondered it a bit more!

NAE: What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

KZ: Don't get so bogged down in the little things (grammar mistakes, etc) that you don't get the big picture. Often, it's the big things like character arcs, plot threads, pacing, etc, that really count.

NAE: When you critique someone’s work, what is your general process (e.g., line edit as you go along, read once before editing, read several times, etc.)?

KZ: I don't always line edit. Usually only if there's some egregious mistake or if there are almost no mistakes. Opposite ends of the spectrum, I know, lol. I usually only read the manuscript once before sending a critique, though if my CP revises and wants me to read the manuscript again, I'm open to it :) I usually use the "comments" function to do very specific comments and otherwise note my reactions. Sometimes I take notes in another document, though, especially more broad suggestions. That's what I do for notes I give as an intern.

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing (e.g., plot, grammar, characters, emotions, etc.)?

KZ: I think I cover all of it, really. I'm a total grammar nut, so if someone asks me specifically to check their grammar, I'm happy to. Some don't care as much about those things, though, so I don't bother too much with it unless, again, there's some relatively big mistake that they keep making. I definitely concentrate a lot on character and emotion--I love character driven stories. I think I'm pretty good at judging pacing, too. Unfortunately, I seem better at noticing pacing problems in other people's stories than in my own!

~~~

Thanks, Kat! I love “getting that spark of inspiration” after reading a critique of one of my projects. It truly keeps me going.

Remember to bid on Kat’s 5,000-word critique here. Or, just donate a few dollaristas to Crits for Water and win a critique from the glorious Kat Brauer. For serious. *snicker*

Critiquerly Interview: Author Julie Hyzy

2011-06-02T09:47:00.000-05:00

(Or, *Read* to Develop as a Critiquer)

Julie Hyzy is not only a super-nice woman (she lives across the street so I know this as a fact), but she’s also a ginormously fantastic mystery writer. When I started doing critiquerly interviews, I thought of Julie right away, which is why I'm so excited about this post. Julie is amazingly prolific, and has a number of books that you’ll want to order after reading her thoughts on critiquing.

Plus, she knows how to use “critiquer” (Real word, critiquer is. No, seriously.), which puts her at ninja status here at NAE.

Anthony and Barry Award winning author Julie Hyzy writes two national bestselling mystery series:

the White House Chef Mysteries (fourth in the series, Buffalo West Wing, came out in January), and

the Manor House Mysteries (the second book, Grace Interrupted, debuts June 7th). She recently

entered the eBook arena with her first harder edged novel - about a Chicago-based female private

investigator. Playing With Matches is written under the N.C. Hyzy pseudonym. Julie lives in the

Chicago area with her husband, three daughters, and two cats.

Learn more about on her website, her blog, or twitter.

~~~

NAE: Who, as one of your critiquers/beta-readers, have you learned the most from, and what did you learn from him/her?

JH: I have two answers to this. First, I learned more about writing, about reading, and about discipline from Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch than from anyone else. I was fortunate to participate in a two-week workshop at their home in Oregon, in 2002. There were 12 of us there, learning, writing, workshopping and talking business. I can't even begin to describe how tough it was to keep up. We were required to write every night... most assignments were 3,000 words minimum. In addition, we had to complete a technique assignment, a grammar assignment, and we had to read and critique all the other participants' submissions from the day before.

We met every morning at 10 AM. That's when our "homework" was due and our critiquing began. After we broke at about 2 PM, new assignments in hand, we got to work. But... then we had a business meeting every night beginning at 8 PM, and usually ending around midnight.

Did we all get everything done on time every day? Yes. We learned to get out of our own way, to write first, revise later. To allow our real selves to come out because we didn't have time to allow the the critic on our shoulder to hold us back. I learned that I can write even when I don't feel like it. Even when I'm exhausted, hungry, frustrated. That's unbelievably empowering.

When I got home, I didn't sleep well for days. When I did, I would wake up disoriented. It took me at least two weeks to recover. But the lessons I learned have stayed. The experience was life changing. In the most positive, fabulous way possible.

Second: I did have a beta reader for a long time, from whom I learned a lot about crafting realistic fight-for-your-life scenes, and about creating and maintaining tension. He was a great beta reader and I believe I was an equally good beta reader for him. Alas, he's not really writing much these days and we don't critique one another anymore. I do miss that. I always felt much stronger about my manuscripts after I had another pair of experienced eyes go over it.

NAE: What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

JH: I think it's important to be open to having one's own work critiqued first. That's where I believe I learned the most about how to critique. I listened to what others were saying about my stories. I paid very close attention. I still do. This may sound so basic, but one of the first stories I submitted to my writers group had a moment in it that I liked, but didn't love. Something was off, but I turned it in anyway. One of the group members said, "You shifted point of view." Can you believe I hadn't even noticed that? But I had, and that was exactly why the scene stopped working.

That was extremely helpful to me. And that, I believe, is what critiquers should strive for - to be helpful. Telling a writer that a scene doesn't work is most helpful when you can explain why. Getting involved with a critique group can be extremely beneficial. When I've worked with one, I've found that it's also best to allow critiquers to express themselves one at a time and for the writer to remain silent throughout. When critiquers are allowed to jump in all at once in a free-for-all discussion, there's a risk of everyone is ganging up against the writer, which can quickly alienate him or her. And to have a writer argue that he or she is right is even worse.

Also, and this is probably *the* most important thing a person needs to do if he/she wants to be an effective critiquer - READ. The more we read, the more we absorb and assimilate, even when we don't know it. By reading we start to pick up pointers on pacing, dialogue, and characterization. All so very important in writing fiction.

NAE: When you critique someone’s work, what is your process?

JH: If I have the luxury of reading once through before editing, I do. I believe that's the best way to critique. I usually read through once to get a feel for a story, and feel for the author's style. When I critique, I try very hard not to tread on the author's style because that's what sets him/her apart from all the other writers out there.

After my first read-through, I'm a very picky line-editor, for sure. I note every typo, word echo, and continuity issue that I find. I also suggest changes to the story, if appropriate. If I believe a story has real potential, I make lots of notes all over it, some revision ideas, some simple commentary. If I think a story can't possibly ever go anywhere, I usually give it a very light edit. That said, I haven't done any editing/critiquing in quite a while. I just don't have the time anymore. Sniff. I miss it.

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing?

JH: Two things. Characters and wordsmithing. I need to believe in a character before I can truly get into a story and if a character isn't real to me, the story won't work. There are exceptions (such as those in The DaVinci Code), but it's rare that only plot keeps me reading. I prefer stories about characters.

I am also attuned to how a story sounds. If the words match the tone, if the words sound well put together. If they flow. Words have to flow. They shouldn't jar a reader or throw a reader out of the story.

I'm also big on grammar, especially spelling. I'm the first to admit I have comma issues and often forget them when they're necessary or add them in when they're not. Otherwise, I'm very picky. I hate it when writers spell their own characters' names wrong. What's up with that?

~~~

Thanks, Julie! It’s a little funny when writers misspell their characters names. I have to admit that I’ve renamed characters before which has resulted in name confusion. I like your point about reading to enhance your critiquerly skills. It’s something we hear about developing as a writer, so it makes perfect sense to me.

Here’s a peek at Grace Interrupted that comes out next Wednesday, available on kindle and in paperback. Of course, you'll want to read Grace Under Pressure first.

On the grounds of Marshfield Manor, Civil War re-enactors have set up camp.

And what a dedicated troupe! One of them has really been killed...

~~~

As an aside, I have one quick yet stupendous announcement: Those of you who have followed my Crits for Water interviews may be happy to know that the campaign has just tipped over $5,000, which provides an entire village with clean water. Congrats to Kat Brauer for running the CfW events, to the agents and authors who donated critiques, and to the writers who bid on them. Mucho hearts and kisses all around. There are still some fabulous critiques up for auction this month.

Some Fantastic Critiquer/Writers

2011-05-27T12:30:00.000-05:00

(Or, Critiquerly Love Never Dies)

There are times that I read blog posts about critiquerly-related topics, and when I’m done, I sigh and think: I couldn’t have said that better myself.

Which is why I’m basking in the brilliance of a few bloggers this week ~~and hijacking their wisdom~~. Here are a few recent posts I love.

Historical romance author Ashley March (interviewed by NAE here) discusses how much she values her critique partners and beta readers (plus she defines the difference between the two in a non-dictionary way) and gives some guidelines on how to go about finding critique partners and the whole thing is a critiquerly-oriented dish of chocolate fudge ripple. *heart-my-crit-partners sigh*

Literary agent intern Jessica Lei (interviewed by NAE here) talks about how having a critique partner is like any other relationship in that you have to find someone who genuinely likes your work. *kindred spirit sigh*

The ever-chuckle-provoking INTERN (interviewed by NAE here) has blogged not once, not twice, but thrice about critiquerly topics. Her first post outlines the 14 stages of critique acceptance, and in the second post she talked about how to get over revision paralysis, and her last post reminds everyone who to avoid as a critique partner. *giggly sighs*

Young adult author Jodi Meadows (interviewed by NAE here) shared how overwhelmed she feels to receive critiques back, and points out how when she feels she needs to go back and explain something to the critiquer based on their comments, it’s a red flag for her that she needs to fix something in her manuscript. *self-enlightened sigh*

I love it when formerly-interviewed NAE critiquers go on to post profound critiqerly things on their own blogs. Could it be that we've started a new critiquerly revolution? Critiquers unite!

Critiquerly love never dies.

Here's a promise: if you read all of the above posts, you’ll learn something either about the critiquing process or about yourself.

Come back and let me know.

Critiquerly Interview with Author Susan Dennard

2011-05-22T11:18:00.000-05:00

(Or, Critiquers Unite!)

Susan Dennard writes young adult fiction, and she’s another wonderful Crits for Water author/critiquer. She is represented by the fantastic ladies of Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation, who have done a lot to save lives in the Crits for Water campaign.

Sara Kendall mentioned how fantastic Susan Dennard’s Let the Words Flow blog is, and may I say? Glorious revision advice. Susan’s Crits for Water young adult/adult fantasy 50-page critique is up for auction starting tomorrow (5/23) here.

Susan Dennard is a 27-year-old reader, writer, lover of animals, and eater of cookies.

She used to be a marine biologist, but now she writes novels. And not novels about fish

either, but novels about kick-butt heroines and swoon-worthy rogues (she really likes

swoon-worthy rogues). She lives in Germany with her French husband and Irish setter,

and you can learn more about her crazy thoughts and crippling cookie-addiction on

Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads. Her debut, SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY,

will be available from HarperCollins in 2012!

Click here for Susan’s website, here for her fab blog, and here to follow her on twitter.

~~~

NAE: After a writer gets back an in-depth critique, what would you recommend in terms of a review/revise process?

SD: I think it’s best to read it and then let the criticism/feedback sit for a day or two. No matter how nicely worded a critique is, it always stings to learn you’re not perfect. :) As such, I think letting that sting wear off and allowing the truth behind the critique to sink in is critical before you tackle it.

Then, once you’re ready to work, you’ll be able to take each comment and decide if you agree or disagree with it. No matter who’s critiquing you (even if it’s your agent or editor!), it’s up to YOU to decide if you agree or not. I have gotten some pretty rotten critiques before, and I am SO glad I didn’t listen to them—I wouldn’t be where I am now if I had!

NAE: What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

SD: Don’t be condescending! Try to word your comments as nicely and non-confrontational as possible. No matter how long you’ve been doing this, then it’s always possible you’re “wrong”—boy, have I given some crappy feedback in the past! But at least I know I gave it nicely and the author wasn’t offended.

Remember: writing is subjective, and your feedback is nothing more than your opinion.

As such, the key to a critique is to always start your comments with “I”, so it’s clear that the feedback is ultimately just your belief. If you phrase it like: “I think you might…” or “I noticed…” or “I thought this…”, you reduce your risk of offending the writer and raise the chance of helping!

NAE: When you critique someone’s work, what is your general process (e.g., line edit as you go along, read once before editing, read several times, etc.)?

SD: I tend to read through and make comments as I go (possibly line-edits too if the author wants it). Then, I write up my broad thoughts on a separate page. Finally, I go back through and check that all my comments are 1) nicely worded, 2) appropriate/helpful, and 3) accurate (in case I realized later I misunderstood a passage).

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing (e.g., plot, grammar, characters, emotions, etc.)?

SD: It definitely depends on the writer’s request. If he/she wants line-edits, I’ll provide that. If he/she is just looking for overall feedback, I’ll focus on plot, character, and pacing—the Big Stuff.

NAE: If there is another question you think I should add to this list, what is it, and what would your answer be?

SD: Some people seem to think having a CP isn’t helpful—that it means you “don’t trust your own writing”. What do you say to these people?

No! :) I think each person has to decide what does/doesn’t work for him/her. I know that, for the majority of writers (that includes me!), having a fellow writer read and offer feedback was a defining step in developing our craft. I know I can’t live without my CPs or beta readers!

I don’t “not trust my own writing”. What I don’t trust is my ability to distance myself from my writing. I need other eyes to catch where characters behave inconsistently, the plot confuses, or the pacing is bogged down with introspection. After I’ve been working on the same novel for over a year, it’s almost impossible for me to catch that sort of stuff anymore!

So, my advice is this: don’t be afraid to let other writers see your work, but at the end of the day, you have to decide if you want to listen or not. The only way a fresh set of eyes on your work could ever hurt you is if you choose to quit because of it—but notice, that’s your decision.

Critiquers unite!

~~~

I think Susan has coined my new catch phrase: Critiquers unite! Love it. Now I just need someone to compose a theme song. :)

Thanks, Susan for sharing your critiquerly ideas and suggestions. It’s a great idea to do that extra step of checking over your critiquing notes before you send it back. After all the time spent reading and writing up notes, it’s a simple but important way to ensure your critique is worded in a way that the writer will “hear” what you’re saying.

Remember to bid on Susan’s Crits for Water YA/Adult Fantasy critique auction tomorrow (5/23). Fifty pages! Wow.

Critiquing Pointers: Part Deux

2011-05-19T22:43:00.002-05:00

(Or, Writing Crits with Zing)

In this post, we reviewed how a beginning critiquer can pull off a helpful review by focusing on character, plot, and sensory details. However, sometimes a writer asks for feedback on specific areas of concern.

No problem. We’ll take a look at a few more pieces of the critiquing pie today, just so we’re prepared to comment on these areas: dialogue, emotional reaction, and getting pulled out of the story.

1. Dialogue

~Are the dialogue tags subtle (he/she said) or somewhat distracting (he spat, she huffed)?

~Is the dialogue limited to an interaction necessary to the story without getting too realistic (e.g., “Nice weather we’re having, eh?” sits more on the too realistic rather than necessary side of dialogue)?

~Does the dialogue not only maintain the personality of the characters, but perhaps also reveal deeper aspects of these characters?

~Do the characters words ring true, in general?

~Is the writer attempting to convey too much exposition in the dialogue (e.g., a huge Q&A dialogue scene with major plot reveals)?

2. Emotional Reactions

~Do the character’s actions, thoughts, and desires make you feel close to him/her, and want what he/she wants?

~Do you know what the character’s thoughts and desires are at all times?

~Can you point to each scene and find a conflict, resolved or not?

~Can you point to each scene and find the overriding emotion felt by the MC?

~Are you having an emotional reaction different from what the writer intended (e.g., the MC displays too much of a flaw to the point that they are not likeable)?

3. Getting Pulled Out of the Story

You may have already experienced this phenomenon, where you’re reading along and feeling absorbed in the story, but then something trips you up, and for a few moments, you try to reconcile whatever it is. Maybe you can, maybe you can’t, but the fact is…you were pulled away from the magic, the illusion that the story has transcended reality. As a critiquer, you’ll have to be aware of when this happens, and then try to figure out what caused it. Some common “pulling out of story” trip-ups may be:

~Too many details, rather than a focus on the action/characters

~Odd descriptions or vague word choices, making you wonder what the writer means

~Not understanding a character’s motives at any point

~A passage that is too heavy on a character’s introspection/internal dialogue

~Breaking the fourth barrier (when it seems that the narrator/character is too aware that he/she has an audience, a la Groucho Marx/Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)

If you feel up to a bit of practice on the above critiquing points, hop over to Miss Snark’s Secret Agent posts for May. There are 48 aspiring authors, each with 250-word excerpts from the beginning of their MS. Perhaps you can look for several with fewer comments than others, and see if you can provide them some helpful feedback.

Because? Practicing critiquing is as important as practicing writing.

Critiquerly Interview with Author Roni Loren

2011-05-17T19:27:00.000-05:00

(Or, a Tiny 'Thank You' is Huge)

Romance author Roni Loren is our special critiquerly guest today. She’s a card-carrying member of the Crits for Water club, so after you read her interview, consider bidding on her 2,500 word YA/romance critique that will be up for auction tomorrow (5/18) here. She’ll also have query critique up for drawing.

One more quick comment from me? She’s about to give us one of the simplest, best pieces of advice in this interview. The entire interview is fantastic, though, so read on.

~~~

Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys

was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved,

but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. After earning a master’s degree in social

work from LSU, she worked in a mental hospital, counseled birthmothers as an adoption

coordinator, and did management recruiting in her PJs. But she always returned to writing.

Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives in Dallas with her husband

and son. If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her reading, watching reality

television, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to rockstars, er, rock concerts--yeah, that's it.

Her debut novel, CRASH INTO YOU, will be published by Berkley Heat/Penguin in January 2012.

She is represented by Sara Megibow of the Nelson Literary Agency and is a member of RWA

and the North Texas Romance Writers.
This is Roni's website, this is her blog, and here she is on twitter.

~~~

NAE: After a writer gets back an in-depth critique, what would you recommend in terms of a review/revise process?

RL: First, I would say read through the critique, take a deep breath and let the feedback sit with you for a day or so before you do anything. A lot of times we have a knee jerk reaction and instantly want to get defensive. Or some of us are the opposite and internalize everything and feel ready to scrap the whole thing because clearly it's crap. (I'm vacillating between both extremes.) So don't change anything until you give it some time to settle into the nooks and crannies of your brain. You'll find that some of the crit will resonate and some of it may not. Decide which parts you're going to change and go forward.

NAE: What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

RL: Get critiqued yourself. It's impossible to become a good critiquer if you're not having someone put your stuff through the wringer. I also HIGHLY recommend volunteering to judge contests (many local RWA groups run national contests and are always in need of judges. You can find the lists of upcoming contests here). The score sheets that you have to work through to judge an entry are excellent at training you to look for both big and small things in your own manuscript. And it's amazing what you can see in other's people's work that you never pick up in yours.

NAE: When you critique someone’s work, what is your general process?

RL: I'm a line edit as I go person. Then I give overall feedback at the end on bigger picture items. Even when someone asks to just give overarching feedback, I can't help but line edit, lol. I'm a very nitpicky critiquer but I (hopefully) deliver all the feedback with love. I kind of liken it to a thorough physical at the doctor. It may be a little uncomfortable, but in the end, it's good for you. : ) To get an idea of my critique style, you can see some of the crits I've done online on my blog here.

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing?

RL: Not really. I try to look at all the aspects, though I don't focus as much on minor grammar stuff as I do on the bigger issues. However, typically people have one or two big problem areas when I critique that are repeated throughout their pages. It's different for every person, but it seems like we all have our favorite bad habit. (Mine is using "just" everywhere and characters smiling a lot.) For instance, if someone head hops in the first page, it's usually a problem throughout. Or if someone has a penchant for overwriting or purple prose, it's typically throughout.

Question added by RL: How should you respond to a critique?

RL: I've done a lot of critiques. Not just in my own crit groups, but I've done many on my blog and have given away a lot in contests and such. And like I said, I'm a detailed person, so I know sometimes the feedback I give can be overwhelming. But I've gotten such a wide range of responses from people. Most are very nice and seem genuinely thankful for the feedback. But others, it's like radio silence. That stresses me out because then I'm worried that I offended you or something. Realize that it takes someone a lot of time to critique for you. Even if you don't agree with their feedback, take the time to say thank you.

~~~

Many thanks, Roni. I would have never thought about judging contents as part of writerly development, but that is fantastic advice. And the whole thing about saying thank you? So important and yet too easy to overlook at times.

I can't wait until CRASH INTO YOU comes out in 2012. Congratulations on your debut novel!

Check out the Crits for Water campaign this week, and don't forget to kick the tires on Roni’s 2,500 critique auction tomorrow.

Critiquerly Interview with Nancy Coffey Junior Associate: Sara Kendall

2011-05-16T16:52:00.002-05:00

(Or, What is the Character Feeling?)

I meant to get this post up so much earlier than this until my non-writerly life took over my day. Oy. But I'm so excited about this interview.

There are many reasons you’ll like Sara Kendall after reading her interview, but I’m going to tell you three of them now. (1) She’s got a 30-page critique up for auction tomorrow (5/17) to benefit the Crits for Water campaign, (2) she loves young adult and middle grade fiction (huzzah!), and (3) she’s a firm believer in critique groups.

Her awesome self is here today to share a few thoughts on critiquing and revising.

Sara Kendall is a junior associate at Nancy Coffey Literary and Media Representation.

She loves YA, dark MG, and fantasy. Follow her on Twitter!

~~~

NAE: After a writer gets back an in-depth critique, what would you recommend in terms of a review/revise process?

SK: Great question! We know that looking at an in-depth critique can be daunting. Where do you start? Where does the revision process end?

So. First things first. Read the notes/critique carefully--twice. And then sit on it for a day. Weirdly, that's sometimes the hardest part. Maybe you're excited about the notes and want to dive right back in! Woohoo! Great! But I don't want you to get halfway through revising before you realize you actually don't quite understand how to implement the revision notes through the whole novel. On the other hand, maybe revisions overwhelm you, and you can immediately think of forty questions for things you need clarified. Also great! Also woohoo! We love questions! But you want to make sure you're asking the right ones so that, again, you don't reach the halfway point and hit a block. So sit on the notes for a day. Read them again. Then figure out what it is you really need to know to not only start, but finish, the revision process. Come up with a game plan. Make sure you and the agent/editor/etc. are on the same page, and have the same vision.

Then! Email your trusty beta-partner/crit group. (If you don't have one, I can't recommend them enough--the growth I've seen in writers pre- vs. post-crit group is astounding). Share your game plan with them, and tell them what you're trying to accomplish. They'll be on the lookout for it, and can help make sure that the notes you got are applied throughout the novel.

(Susan Dennard is actually doing an awesome series of posts on approaching the revision process over at Let The Words Flow--check it out here!)

NAE: Great tip about Susan Dennard’s posts. Thanks, Sara. I have an interview coming up with Susan this month.

What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

SK: If you're suggesting the writer make a change to the work, always explain why. Your instincts might be telling you, "This paragraph isn't working," but if you just say, "Cut this paragraph; it isn't working," that's not going to help the writer be a better writer, and it won't help you be a better critiquer. What's not working? Is the pacing off? Is the voice missing? Is the paragraph just in the wrong place?

I also think a great way to give better critiques is get critiques yourself. Someone may say about one of your sentences, "This really cuts the tension--we don't need the info in it right now. Focus on the scene/fact/character at hand." And you will say, "Ah-HA! It cuts the tension. That's exactly what's wrong with this scene in X Manuscript!" Hopefully.

NAE: When you critique someone’s work, what is your general process?

SK: I always read once before editing. I can't give notes as effectively if I don't know where the story is going or where your characters end up. Usually, we go through a couple rounds of edits, starting with the bigger picture stuff (plot lines, characters development, etc.) and working our way down to line-edits.

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing?

SK: I find myself saying, "What is the character *feeling* here?" all the time. With "What is the character thinking here?" a close second. I want to be close to the characters I'm reading. And feeling emotionally invested in/connected to characters right from the opening page is what moves readers from looking at a book on a shelf to bringing it to the cash register.

Plot is another big one for me. So are characters. World-building too, actually. Um. So maybe there is not one thing I particularly gravitate toward. Ha, all the pieces have to work for me to be invested.

~~~

Thanks so much, Sara, for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. I love how you suggested that a person should explain why they’ve made a particular critiquerly comment, a step that helps both the writer and the critiquer to develop.

Remember to look for Sara’s Crits for Water 30-page critique auction tomorrow here. The winner of the auction gets a fabulous critique and gets to help provide clean water to people who struggle for such a basic need every day. Also? Literary agent Joanna Volpe has a critique up for auction on Thursday (5/19). I'm just going to say it: Nancy Coffey's staff and authors rock.

It's a busy week. Watch for my next Crits for Water interview with author Roni Loren coming tomorrow.

Freaky (not so) Friday Blogfest

2011-05-14T15:55:00.002-05:00

(Or, Embarrassing My Writerly Self for the Sake of Critiquing)

Kat Brauer is taking a small break from her Crits for Water campaign for a special Freaky Friday Blogfest. She’s got prizes! And promises of jocularity! And Harry Potter! As Kat would say, for serious.

She posted one of her earliest, 500-word pieces of writing to be critiqued (for her, a fanfic Harry Potter spin-off written when she was a teen) on her blog. Pop over there and check it out. I did a line-by-line critique on it for extra credit.

Kat also posed this challenge: she wanted her readers to find some old piece of writing and post it for critiques on their own blogs. That’s right, she wants us all to open ourselves up to (*cue creepy music*) public feedback. This is slightly different from Miss Snark’s blog in that, well, it’s not at all anonymous on anyone’s part.

Naturally, since NOT AN EDITOR is all about critiquerly topics and such, I knew I had to participate, no matter how embarrassing it might be. Therefore, I found a piece of flash fiction that I did several years back. I’ve only been writing for shy-of-four years, and I started with short fiction.

Being a psychology major, I was drawn to characters with hard-core psychological diagnoses. Yes, I was more concerned about characters and their worlds than I was about plot* (oh, you mean there has to be a story, too?). See if you can tell what my character’s mental illness is.

Feel free to throw in some critiquing. I’m ready for the red pens (or, if you’re Marewolf, purple pens) to fly. Line edits or any other critiquerly advice is welcome.

~~~

New Shoes

Janice examines her purse for necessary items - a package of sani-wipes, keys, wallet, antibacterial lotion, tissue, gloves, and a white cloth. Was she sure she saw her keys? Yes, jingle, here they are.

A glance in the mirror to comb her hair reveals the worst: greasy. As she undresses to take another shower, she carefully re-folds her clothes. She is concerned that her pastel shirt might wrinkle and she finds a hanger.

She turns on the water, crisp and clean. The pressure didn't seem normal and she shuts it off. Turns it on and off. On. Much better.

As she steps out of the shower, she flexes her feet on the pristine rug. Left foot, right foot, left, right, left, right. She clearly cannot wear the clothes that she wore earlier; it wouldn't be right.

She has an idea and she packs an extra pair of sheer socks. Those nylon footies they offer in the shops bother her. The whole experience is a bother. Reviewing the faint quarter-inch scuff on her shoe's instep, she realizes that she must go. Her heart quickens.

Janice reviews her bag once more. Yes, everything was there, and now she has an extra pair of socks. She felt her keys jingle in her fingers. Perfect. What if she had left earlier with dirty hair and no extra pair of socks? And the beige shirt is much preferred over the light blue.

She readies herself as she flips the light switch off and on three times. Satisfaction gradually comes while sani-wiping the car seat and the steering wheel. And fastening, unfastening, fastening, unfastening, and fastening her safety belt. She takes a deep breath and presses her eyes closed. She turns the key without starting the car until three half turns back-and-forth are complete. The sound is fine, just fine, and she opens her eyes. She adjusts and re-adjusts her mirror.

Damnit! She says clapping her hands thrice, less than half a tank. She shivers.

I can do this, she says. People put gas in their cars every day. Every day, everyday. She slowly drives to a station and up to an empty pump, but is not close enough. She backs up and pulls forward several minutes until it feels right. I can do this.

She pulls out her gloves but wishes for more protection. She uses her pointer to press in between each of the gloves' fingers. Right and left. Each one twice more. It takes quite a few sani-wipes to sterilize the handle on the gas pump. Her nose squints as she cleans. Brown god-knows-what stains the disposable towels.

As the gas fills her tank, she wonders if she has to urinate. Yes, yes, she is pretty sure of it. She returns the nozzle, uses her white cloth to open her trunk, and disposes of her gloves in a plastic bag marked "dirty''. She takes a clean pair of gloves out of a Ziplock bag marked "clean'' and closes the trunk. Opens and closes, opens, closes. A sigh leaves her after the task is done. She sits down after sani-wiping the driver's seat, the steering wheel, her hands.

As she makes her way home for the safety of her own bathroom, she passes the shoe store. A half a tank wasn't enough, halfatank, h-a-l-f-a-t-a-n-k. Perhaps I'll go shopping tomorrow. She looks at the scuff on her left shoe in disgust. But she has to urinate. And she wouldn't feel proper afterwards without taking a shower.

~~~

That’s it. Critiques in the comments!

*Okay, I admit. I'm still this way. But I'm aware of it now. :)

Winner of JACOB WONDERBAR

2011-05-14T12:25:00.000-05:00

(Or, How Blogger Tried to Hose Up My Give-Away)

Sadness struck me with the recent blogger black-out, because it happened during my first ever give-away. I lost my original contest post early yesterday morning, and had to re-blog about the contest. Unfortunately, I also lost the original comments and names of participants with the original post.

Even when Blogger support restored the original give-away post, the comments did not come back with it.

I gnashed my teeth for a full day, thinking how unfair it would be to continue the contest without all the people who deserved to participate.

And then, I remembered to check my other e-mail account. Voila! There, each in their own separate message, were all the comments and commenters. (Copied/pasted below for fun.)

Happiness and Joy. And now, happiness and joy belong to our winner:

Kayeleen Hamblin!

Kayeleen, please e-mail me at mkaley3 (at) gmail (dot) com with your address so I can ship JACOB WONDERBAR to you.

Thanks to everyone for playing!

And now, for my not-so-automated restoration of your lovely comments.

~~~

Kai said: “I'm in! Need all the help I can get w/critting. I love free books and can't wait to get my hands on this one. And I tweet. All good things.”

>Thanks, Kai! You've come to the right place.

Andrea Mack said: “A blog about critiquing sounds interesting! I signed up to follow (but I don't tweet yet so I can't do that part of your requirements). I mostly critique in Word docs, so I use the comment box, which I think is black ink.”

>Andrea, no worries about the tweeting. I like the word comment boxes, too.

Marewolf said: “I like purple! (And pancakes!) And I have a quick editing tip for when you are ready to revise your MS (this is after you've finished your rough draft & left it alone for a couple weeks like a good little writer): change the font, print it out, use a pencil (or purple pen) to make notes to yourself in the margins BEFORE you start editing in your computer :) Fun contest!

>Somehow, I knew you'd say you edit in purple. I got the idea for this contest from Marewolf, who just did a book give-away on her blog.

Aimee said: “Thanks for this! I'm in too. I'll tweet about it! :)”

>Aimee, thanks for stopping by and for tweeting.

Kayeleen Hamblin said: “I use a yellow hi-liter and a red pen if I'm using paper, but track changes in Word if it's on my desktop. And I've been looking forward to Jacob Wonderbar for ages.”

>Kayeleen, congratulations again!!!

Rena Jacobs said: “Text-to-speech software is my biggest tool for editing. Nothing takes the place of listening to my work aloud, read exactly as it's written. Thanks for the giveaway. I'd love to read this to my son.”

>Hello, Rena. I have text-to-speech on my kindle. I might try it for editing. Thanks for the idea.

Krista V said: “Great contest, Mary! I'm afraid I'm too impatient to wait (I'm planning to order JACOB WONDERBAR later today), but I did tweet about it, since it sounds like such a great book.”

>Krista, I don't blame you for ordering it already. Enjoy!

Mandie Baxter said: “Great blog!”

>Thanks, Mandie, and thanks for tweeting.

~~~

This was way fun, even with the blogger mishap. I'll have to do it again soon.

~~~

A Chance to win JACOB WONDERBAR! by Nathan Bransford

2011-05-13T12:44:00.000-05:00

(Or, Celebrating a Friend’s Release Date)

~~~>Reposting the 5/11 give-away since the entire blogging community crashed shortly after this went live*. NOTE: If you left a message yesterday, please comment again because yesterday's post is GONE (sniff), and I want to be sure to include everyone who showed up yesterday.<~~~

~~~

Today is the release date of the Nathan Bransford’s debut novel, Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow. Because Nathan was so nice a few weeks back during his interview here, at Not an Editor, I thought it’d be fun to give away a copy. Just cuz.

So that’s what I’m going to do.

JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW,

a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space,

break the universe, and have to find their way back home.
See the first chapter here!

Here are the (simple) rules, in three steps.

1. Follow this blog by clicking the “Follow” with Google Friends Connect button in the column to the right

2. Leave a comment below. It can be anything, like the color you like to use when you critique.

3. Tweet with a link advertising this give-away.

I’ll do a random drawing generator thingy and announce the winner tomorrow, on (*cue scary music*) ~~Friday the 13^th at noon (CST)~~ UPDATE: Contest extended to Saturday, 5/14 at noon CST due to the blog issues.

That’s it!**

*If you ask me, I think a huge cosmic KAPOW caused the whole blogger blackout.

**Although, if you’d like to follow me on twitter, click the “Follow Me” button, also in the column to the right. :)

Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow Give-Away

2011-05-12T09:01:00.000-05:00

(Or, Celebrating a Friend’s Release Date)

So that’s what I’m going to do.

JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW,

a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space,

break the universe, and have to find their way back home.
See the first chapter here!

Here are the (simple) rules, in three steps.

1. Follow this blog by clicking the “Follow” with Google Friends Connect button in the column to the right

2. Leave a comment below. It can be anything, like the color you like to use when you critique.

3. Tweet with a link advertising this give-away.

I’ll do a random drawing generator thingy and announce the winner tomorrow, on (*cue scary music*) Friday the 13^th at noon (CST).

That’s it!*

*Although, if you’d like to follow me on twitter, click the “Follow Me” button, also in the column to the right. :)

Critiquerly Interview with Author Ashley March

2011-05-10T09:02:00.003-05:00

(Or, Tempering Your Overprotective Muse)

After my last interview with Courtney Milan, I’ve become a historical romance fan. Truly. So, you can imagine my excitement talk to Ashley March today about critiquing. And if that’s not enough, as part of the Crits for Water campaign (see my first post about it here), Ashley has a 3-chapter critique up for auction on Kat Brauer’s blog tomorrow (4/11).

After reading her interview, you’ll want that critique. Oh, yes.

Ashley March is the author of Seducing the Duchess (Oct 2010) and

Romancing the Countess (Sep 2011). When she isn't writing sexy, emotional

historical romances set in Victorian England, Ashley stays busy entertaining

her two young daughters, attempting to do housework, and hiking in the

beautiful foothills of Colorado.

~~~

NAE. Who, as one of your critiquers/beta-readers, have you learned the most from, and what did you learn from him/her?

AM: I have two amazing critique partners, and I've always said that every one of my acknowledgements will feature them because I truly don't believe I would have become published without their help. I'm more than fortunate to have Kat Brauer, the hostess for Crits for Water, as my critique partner. Out of everything she's taught me--and there are many, many things--the most important tip that sticks out in my mind is to remember to show how the characters react to situations. It's easy to write action scenes, but the difficult part comes when you dig deep and have to show how that action affects and/or changes the character as a result.

NAE: After a writer gets back an in-depth critique, what would you recommend in terms of a review/revise process?

AM: I know everyone has different ways of editing, but I really prefer to wait until after I finish the book to start editing, even though I exchange critiques with my cps chapter by chapter. I will glance over the chapter they've returned to see if there's anything I need to take immediate action on or keep in mind as I go forward (such as characters being likeable, or inconsistencies in plot), but I find that editing all at once is much easier for me that writing-editing-writing-editing. Each works a different part of my brain and my creative process, and it can be difficult for me to switch my mindset from one to the other.

I would also say that I know we as writers and human beings are very protective of the words we write, and you do have to stay true to your creative instinct. However, if a critique partner suggests something and you immediately dismiss it, I would advise trying to figure out if it is something really important to the story that you feel strongly about, or if it would be just as easy to change. If it's something easy to change, you might simply be acting the over-protective creator who needs to make the change. If it's something important, go ahead and ask your critique partner for more details to try to understand why they feel so strongly about it that they would suggest you make the change. Critique partners are just that--partners--and you should be working with people that you trust, even if you don't take their advice every single time.

NAE: What is the one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop his or her critique skills?

AM: If you are brand new to critiquing, read someone else's critiques, specifically someone who has been doing it for a while. If you're an experienced cp, simply remember to help the writer stay true to their voice while selectively imparting wisdom you've learned yourself through the difficult journey of writing.

NAE: When you critique someone’s work, what is your general process?

AM: I line edit as I read. If it's an easy chapter (read=good), I'll generally only go over it once. If it's a difficult chapter and there are a ton of basic mistakes such as grammar and spelling, I'll read it again to look at plot and characters just to make sure I'm thorough and can provide the best feedback possible for the story. As a critique partner and a writer who receives critiques, I do feel it's best when possible to focus on one chapter at a time for in-depth critiquing, then review the entire book when polished in order to find any glaring issues that were missed the first time around.

NAE: Is there one specific thing that you gravitate toward while critiquing?

AM: As a recovering perfectionist I definitely look at grammar and spelling, and these are the first things that I'll catch and mark. After that, I pay the most attention to characters--are they three-dimensional or flat?--and emotion--is it subtle and powerful or cliché and trite?

Question added my AM: Why is having a critique partner so important?

AM: In all of the questions above I've provided my answers from my experience as a critique partner. This is because I can't imagine going through the critique process only on one side, nor can I imagine writing without a critique partner. At the beginner cps help each other with opinions and learning the fundamentals. Over time, though, even if each chapter is no longer exchanged, cps are still invaluable for support and much-needed feedback. They become friends who can become as familiar as family because they are closer to your writing than anyone else. I consider both of my critique partners as close friends even though I've never personally met either of them. And as I said above, I truly don't think I would have become published without them.

~~~

Thank you, Ashley. You’ve given me a lot to think about as I critique my own work. I love your comment about keeping the emotions subtle. Once you mentioned this, I thought of the books I love, and went through this AHA moment, realizing that some of the most powerful emotions have been the most subtly written.

Check out the Ashley's book that I’ve downloaded to my kindle. If I’m late on my next blog post, you’ll know I’m busy reading this:

And, if you liked Ashley’s interview, you’ll love her blog. I dare you to read one post and not get hooked.

Don't forget to check out Ashley’s Crits for Water auction tomorrow (5/11) here. If you're coming across this interview a bit too late, check out the upcoming Crits for Water auctions and drawings here.