Crits for Water Interview with Author Jane Kindred

(Or, Voice + Stakes = Paramount)

A charity water fact: 50% of the schools in the world don’t have access to clean water or adequate sanitation.

Fantasy romance author Jane Kindred thinks that all schools should have access to water. That’s why she’s donated a query critique to the 2012 Charity Water campaign.

Meet Jane, member of team Megibow, and bid on her query critique here.

~~~

Jane Kindred began writing fantasy at age 12 in the wayback of a Plymouth Fury—which, as far as she recalls, never killed anyone…who didn’t have it coming. She spent her formative years ruining her eyes reading romance novels in the Tucson sun and watching Star Trek marathons in the dark. Although she was repeatedly urged to learn a marketable skill, she received a B.A. in Creative Writing anyway from the University of Arizona.

She now writes to the sound of San Francisco foghorns while two cats slowly but surely edge her off the side of the bed.

You can find Jane on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and on her website.

~~~

NAE:  What valuable lesson have you learned from one of your critiquers/beta-readers (feel free to share who it was)?

Jane: I took an online workshop with Writer’s Digest editor Jane Friedman where she critiqued first pages, and she got right to the heart of what was wrong with mine: I was trying to set a stage; she wanted to be intrigued. It wasn’t necessary for the reader to know exactly who my character was, or where she was, but they definitely needed to care what happened to her before the end of the first page, if not the first paragraph. The voice and the stakes were paramount.

NAE: What’s one of the worst mistakes a critiquer can make?

Jane: I’m not sure I know what the worst mistakes in critiquing are, but I know one of the worst mistakes a writer can make is to try to rewrite to please every reader. You have to evaluate which critiques are valid for you--without your ego getting in the way, which can be hard. It’s a fine line between thinking every word of a critique is right and thinking every word is wrong. LOL.

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

Jane: I line edit as I go, otherwise I’d forget the things that initially stick out as I get lost in the story. It’s also an OCD thing; I like marking things, and can’t resist line editing, even if that’s not the version I’m ultimately going to give to the writer.

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

Jane: I definitely gravitate toward grammar. If the grammar is distracting, I can’t even pay attention to the characters or plot.

Crits for Water Quickfires—And, go:

1. Oxford comma?   YES.

2. Should "I like him too" have a comma before "too"?   It depends on the context. Are there two people being liked? Or two people liking? Or is the person doing something in addition to liking? Never mind; just change it to “I also like him” and you don’t have to worry about the comma. ;)

3. Italicize or underline?   I know there are some agents and editors who still prefer underlining for emphasis so they can see it clearly (and I think there also used to be printer typesetting reasons to do it this way in a manuscript), so if that’s what they want, give it to them. But the correct type style for emphasis is italic, and that’s what it will end up being in print.

4. How do you separate scenes: #, ***, line break?   However your editor tells you to separate them. ;) It seems to be largely dependent on house style, but what I’ve seen most (and therefore, how I do it in my drafts) is to use a line break for a minor scene break and three asterisks for a major scene break.

5. What's your favorite verb?   I don’t think I can say that here, but it’s possibly of Scandinavian origin, and according to the Online Etymology Dictionary, “the earliest examples of the word…are from Scottish”…and if it’s not Scottish, it’s crap. ;)

~~~

Thanks, Jane, for stopping by! Take a peek at Jane’s novels, such as THE FALLEN QUEEN.

Heaven can go to hell.

Until her cousin slaughtered the supernal family, Anazakia’s father ruled the Heavens, governing noble Host and Fallen peasants alike. Now Anazakia is the last grand duchess of the House of Arkhangel’sk, and all she wants is to stay alive.

Hunted by Seraph assassins, Anazakia flees Heaven with two Fallen thieves—fire demon Vasily and air demon Belphagor, each with their own nefarious agenda—who hide her in the world of Man. The line between vice and virtue soon blurs, and when Belphagor is imprisoned, the unexpected passion of Vasily warms her through the Russian winter.

Heaven seems a distant dream, but when Anazakia learns the truth behind the celestial coup, she will have to return to fight for the throne—even if it means saving the man who murdered everyone she loved.

~~~

If you’re curious about the voice and stakes in your query and you think Jane could help, go to the Crits for Water campaign page for her query critique up for auction.

Crits for Water Interview with Author Sherry Thomas

(Or, Covering Your Blind Spots)

A charity: water fact – Charity: water employs and trains Central Africans to build and maintain the water wells that save lives every day.

Historical romance author Sherry Thomas has charity: water on her radar for the second year in a row (see last year’s interview: If the Old Doesn’t Go, the New Doesn’t Come). Gear up for the bidding on her three-chapter critique donation (available May 1^st).

Help me welcome Sherry and congratulate her on her release-day novel.

~~~

Sherry Thomas burst onto the scene with PRIVATE ARRANGEMENTS, a Publisher Weekly Best Book of 2008. Her sophomore book, DELICIOUS, is a Library Journal Best Romance of 2008. Her next two books, NOT QUITE A HUSBAND and HIS AT NIGHT, are back-to-back winners of Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA® Award for Best Historical Romance in 2010 and 2011.  Lisa Kleypas calls her "the most powerfully original historical romance author working today."

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 digging down to the emotional core of 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.

Sherry’s latest, BEGUILING THE BEAUTY, book one of the Fitzhugh Trilogy, is available May 1, 2012.

~~~

NAE: What is your favorite thing about writing a critique?

Sherry: When I hit on an issue and I have a pretty good idea on how to fix it.  

NAE: What is your favorite thing about receiving a critique back?

Sherry: When my critiquer not only sees problems, but gives me really good ideas on how to fix it. (Two sides of a coin.)

NAE: Why is critiquing important?

Sherry: For the one doing the critiquing, because it trains your critical thinking. For the one on the receiving end, sometimes there are just blind spots in what we can perceive about our own manuscript. A fresh pair of eyes can prove invaluable.

NAE: Your critique style is like which of the following: Red Pen Editor, Overall Commenter, Supportive Critic, You’ll Know It If I Catch It?

Sherry: I am an overall commenter unless the story doesn't have any major story/character/pacing problems. Then I might comment on scene-level problems. I usually do not pay much attention to grammatical/spelling errors unless they are atrocious. And I generally do not line edit when there are bigger issues.

NAE: Name one of your favorite 2012 books (coming out or already released), and why.

Sherry: I'm always behind so I will probably be 2015 by the time I get to 2012 books. The next book I'm going to read is The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart.

Crits for Water Quickfires—And, go:

1. Oxford comma?   Yes.

2. Should "I like him too" have a comma before "too"?   I don't do it personally, but my copyeditors always do. :-)

3. Italicize or underline?    Italicize.

4. How do you separate scenes: #, ***, line break?   #

5. What's your favorite verb?   Be.

~~~

Take a look at Sherry’s new release, available now. Happy release day, Sherry!

When the Duke of Lexington meets the mysterious Baroness von Seidlitz-Hardenberg aboard a transatlantic ocean liner, he is fascinated. She is exactly what he has been searching for—a beautiful woman who interests and entices him. He falls hard and fast—and soon proposes marriage. 

And then she disappears without a trace…

For in reality, the “baroness” is Venetia Easterbrook—a proper young widow who had her own vengeful reasons for instigating an affair with the duke. But the plan has backfired. Venetia has fallen in love with the man she despised—and there’s no telling what might happen when she is finally unmasked…

~~~

Thanks for the interview, Sherry.

If you would like Sherry Thomas to look for blind spots you might have, consider bidding on her critique here on May 1^st.

Thanks to everyone else has donated to the 2012 Crits for Water campaign so far. You guys are the best.

Crits for Water Interview: Romance Author Jenn LeBlanc

(Or, Feel it in Your Bones)

A charity water fact: 

Unsafe water accounts for 80% of all sickness and disease around the world.

That’s one of the reasons that illustrated romance author Jenn LeBlanc has stepped forward and donated a first chapter (up to 20 pages)critique. She knows that we can chip away at that 80% with huge results. Oh, yes. She feels it in her bones. Take a peek at her bio and then her thoughts on critiquing below.

~~~

Canon. Curls. Colorado. CJs. Chuck Norris.

Born and raised in a household of other people’s children in this beautiful state —very nearly with a camera in hand— she never left. She started her own family, got used to the curls, went to college, built a CJ, started a business, and totally beat the daylights out of Chuck Norris, all with a camera in hand. 

Spending her days in parenting chat rooms she got highly adept with one-handed typing and she can still type just about as fast with one hand as she can with two. It’s a great talent to have when engrossed in a scene and in need of a hit of caffeine. One she finished her first novel she quickly realized: She was born a photographer.

From the realization that someone ELSE would be shooting the cover of HER book her control-freak took over. What started as an easy cover shoot ballooned into this completely new kind of media, designed specifically for digital book readers.

She lives and thrives off chaos and the constant flow of the creative process. She wear shorts and flip-flops year-round —much to the chagrin of her friends and family— and she is currently working on the illustrations for her second novel. Her first serial novel THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE is doing its own Chuck Norris impersonation with the time travel charts on Amazon. You can find her on Twitter and Facebook sharing eye candy and being a total rock star.

~~~

NAE: What valuable lesson have you learned from one of your critiquers/beta-readers?

Jenn: One of the most important lessons I've learned from my beta readers and critiquers is that everyone comes from a different place and brings something with them to your work. Nobody is objective. Parts of my first novel deal with very difficult situations and getting opinions from others about how these things affected them was paramount to the process of building a character that was terribly misused and damaged, as well as creating the healing process and making sure that she was cared for properly by the people around her (most importantly the hero). In all of it, it's important to keep your voice, but just as important to understand how your words might affect someone. No you can't make everyone happy, that isn't the point, but building characters that are true to themselves and to their situations makes them accessible to your readers. They will fall for your people, love them even more, if they can relate and identify with them properly.

NAE: What is one of the worst mistakes a critiquer can make?

Jenn:  I believe the worst possible mistake a critiquer can make is to make it personal. It's a very delicate operation, critiquing. You are looking at someone's heart, their very soul in some cases, and you have to treat it as such. You have to be true to the process and discuss the problems or issues as you see them with the manuscript while at the same time not attacking the writer, or the work in a personal way. It really isn't easy, and the person you are critiquing needs to be just as open and prepared for the process as the critiquer is.

NAE: What is your general process when you critique someone’s work?

Jenn:  I like to read through and make general observations. However, if the work is in need of a great deal of help with technical issues that sometimes isn't possible, and I will work on those first. But I like to read the work, get the general idea and feel for the voice and pacing of the ms before digging in and attempting to find any issues that are keeping it from being the strongest possible work it can be.

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

Jenn:  I tend to gravitate toward emotion and characterization. I adore pushing the emotion in a scene, ensuring the scene has reached its fullest potential. I want to feel it in my bones, whatever emotion it is, I need to feel it in my bones. I look for description and dialog that is well balanced and brings the reader on the journey. Language that shows instead of tells, words that describe without being passive or obtrusive.

Crits for Water Quickfires: And, go.

1.       Oxford comma?   Yes.

2.       Should “I like him too” have a comma before “too”?  Yes.

3.       Italicize or underline? Italicize.

4.       How do you separate scenes: #, ***, or line break? ***

5.       What is your favorite verb? Want.

~~~

The first part of Jenn’s THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE, FREEDOM is available on kindle for free.

For a chance to ensure everyone feels  your MC’s emotions in their bones, follow the instructions for Jenn’s first chapter critique here.

Crits for Water Interview with Author Elise Rome

(Or, Can’t Help Marking Things)

A charity water fact: The 2012 Crits for Water campaign has raised over $2,000 so far, which gives 100 people water for 20 years. Our goal is to help another 400 people.

And romance author Elise Rome is on board, helping out for the second year in a row (see her 2011 interview: Tempering Your Overprotective Muse). She’s got a 50-page critique up for auction here.

Meet super-mommy slash author, Elise.

~~~

Elise Rome has never forgiven Margaret Mitchell for making her fall in love with Scarlett and Rhett in Gone with the Wind and then not giving them a happy ending. She likes to think that she makes up for this injustice with each romance novel she writes. When she isn't telling stories about sexy, headstrong heroes and intelligent, independent heroines, Elise stays busy chasing after her two young daughters, semi-attempting to do housework, and hiking in the beautiful foothills of Colorado.

~~~

NAE: What is your favorite thing about receiving a critique back?

Elise: I really appreciate having another set of eyes looking over my work. I usually edit as I write and then go back to edit even more, but I know that there are things that my critique partners catch that I never would by myself. And when I do something right, I love getting that confirmation from a critique partner that it worked for them as well.

NAE: Why is critiquing important?

Elise: I see critiques as feedback from the author's first readers. Yes, they probably read more slowly and analyze more than normal readers do, but they're still readers when it comes down to it. If I don't have a strong opening, my CPs will tell me. If they don't like my hero, my CPs will tell me. They're not just there to correct my spelling or grammar or tell when a sentence doesn't work; they're invaluable in making all aspects of the book as good as it can be before it's actually published, and my writing would definitely not be as strong without them.

NAE: Your critique style is like which of the following: Red Pen Editor, Overall Commenter, Supportive Critic, You’ll Know It If I Catch It?

Elise: Red Pen Editor. Even when people just ask for me to beta read, I can't help marking things when I see them. Unless something really strikes me while I'm doing line edits, I'll save all the good stuff for my summary at the end. My marks and comments in the actual manuscript are for me to tell the author what I think needs worked on.

NAE: Name one of your favorite 2012 books (coming out or already released), and why.

Elise: MARIANA by Susanna Kearsley just blew me away. This is the first book of hers I've read, and I can't wait to get time to read other books in her backlist. It's not really a romance novel as much as a mainstream time travel with romantic elements, but I still loved everything about it. She has such a fluid, easy way of writing that pulls you in with each sentence, and although the pace was never gripping as it might be in suspense novels, I couldn't stop turning the pages.

~~~

Crits for Water Quickfires – And, go:

1. Oxford comma?   Yes! Leaving it out drives me crazy.

2. Should "I like him too" have a comma before "too"?   Yes.

3. Italicize or underline?   Italicize.

4. How do you separate scenes: #, ***, line break?   ***

5. What's your favorite verb?   To love. ;)

~~~

Thank you, Elise! Elise’s novella, The Sinning Hour, is scheduled to be released soon. And it looks fabulous.

A man accustomed to getting whatever he wishes and a woman whose wishes have never come true: at night, all they need is one another.

~~~

For those who’d like to see the types of things Elise can’t help marking in a critique, take a stab at her 50-page critique here, and save lives.

Crits for Water Interview with Author Anna Randol

(Or, Consistent Characters: Vital)

A charity water fact: A trip to find water takes up to 6 hours for women and children to collect. Disease-ridden water.

Because some people don’t have any choice. But historical romance author Anna Randol is working on giving these people more choices, because she’s donated a 25-page plus query critique in the 2012 Crits for Water campaign. 

Please help me welcome Anna.

~~~

Anna lives with her family in Southern California. She writes sultry, adventurous Regency romances
 for Avon. Her debut novel, A Secret In Her Kiss, is set in Constantinople and earned a starred review
from Publisher’s Weekly, who called it a “...masterful debut…[that] spins a tale replete with mystery,
espionage, and memorable romance.” When she’s not plotting fun, sexy storylines, Anna’s usually
 eating dark chocolate, having wild dance parties with her kids in the living room, or remodeling her
house one ill-planned project at a time. She loves hearing from readers at her website or on Twitter!

~~~

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


Anna: This is the process that I find works for me. First, get a large amount of chocolate and soft, non-breakable objects. Then with eyes closed, click the button to open the critique. After you’ve built up your courage, eat some chocolate, then open your eyes. (After all, I’ve never heard of anyone having a mental breakdown while eating chocolate). Read the critique through once. Throw convenient, nearby, soft objects at your computer. Eat more chocolate. Step away from the computer. Take a moment to actually ponder what the critique said. Read the suggestions again. Realize the critique giver actually had a few—okay, lots—of good suggestions. Incorporate the edits that resonate with you.

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

Anna: Read a lot! And read a lot out of your comfort zone. For instance, I have a weak spot for Beauty and the Beast retellings, but if all I read are those stories, how will I be able to give useful feedback to a my crit partner’s gritty, post-apocalyptic zombie mystery? I’m not saying you have to be an expert in all genres to be a good critiquer, but I think it helps to understand there can be a difference between what I personally like and what is good or workable. It’s important to remember you are trying to make the work you’re critiquing the best it can be, not rewrite it to be the book you would write.

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

Anna: I read through once and try to get a feel for the characters and pacing. I’ll only make notes if my hand becomes possessed and I have no choice (or it’s some little thing I’m afraid I’ll overlook later). Then I sit back and think about the book—sometimes even over several days—and consider what stuck with me (the good: e.g. great heroine, fast plot, funny dialogue) and what is nagging at me (The things I’ll suggest changes in: e.g. plot holes, inconsistent motivation etc.). After that, I will go back and do line edits and mark the good and the bad and, hopefully, be able to explain why for both.

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

Anna: Not grammar. Seriously, I can read right over the worst mistakes.

But plot and character consistency are vitally important to me, as is making sure every character has strong motivation for their actions. If I don’t know or believe why your heroine is going down into the dark basement, there will be many scribbled notes from me.

Crits for Water Quickfires: And, go.

1. Oxford comma? Always. Can’t have strange items unintentionally pairing up.

2. Should "I like him too" have a comma before "too"? Yep. (Although I always forget to add it.)

3. Italicize or underline? Italicize.

4. How do you separate scenes: #, ***, line break? Umm…can I combine answers? I do ###.

5. What's your favorite verb? Quash.

~~~

Thanks, Anna. Love that: quash.

Anna’s debut novel, A Secret in Her Kiss, is available here.

A rare beauty, raised in the exotic heart of the mysterious East, Mari Sinclair knows it’s time to end her 

career as a British spy when she narrowly avoids a brush with death. Unfortunately, there are those
who think otherwise—and they are not above using blackmail to keep Mari in the game.

Saddled with a handsome, duty-obsessed "minder" to ensure that she completes—and survives—one
last mission, Mari is incensed . . . for her guardian, Major Bennett Prestwood, is simply too dedicated, too
unbending, and too disarmingly attractive. But in the face of dark secrets and deadly treacheries, as the true peril
 to Mari is slowly revealed, loyal soldier Bennett realizes that to save and win this extraordinary woman, he will
 have to do the unthinkable and break the rules—rules that passion and desire have suddenly, irrevocably changed.

 ~~~

If you’d like to find out if your characters have that vital consistency, check out Anna’s Crits for Water 25-page plus query auction here.