Talking about critiquing by Barbara Edwards

Talking about critiquing.

I did say I’d share my experience so here It is.

My chapter talk turned out a little weird. 

Four people were in attendance. Instead of doing the formal talk I’d written I did a question and answer session. 

I asked why they wanted a CP. One member didn’t know anything about critiquing and was nervous about sharing her work. Another asked her how she expected to get past an editor? 

I had to go back to the basics. I explained you need rules like how often, how many pages, meeting online or in person, what do you want from the critique? An overview, grammar, dialogue/ plot or character focus?

What do you do if it doesn’t work for you? 

The end result was the four of us are going to start a group. 

We’ll share the pages on-line then meet next month to discuss the critiques.

I’m hoping it is productive. If not, then no harm no foul.

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Critiquing is work by Barbara Edwards and I need help

I made the big mistake of offering to give a talk on critiquing for my local Romance Writers’ chapter. When I say it was a mistake I mean I didn’t think it through.

I’ve given a similar talk several times over the years and figured I’d do a little tweaking and Voila! there it would be.

Well, I pulled out the old info and found that times have changed. Most of us are online and thus so is our critiquing. 

The rules need to be changed, updated, brought  on-line. So here I am in the midst of a pile of pages that are out-dated.

I need help.

What do you suggest I say to bring my listeners into the 21st century?

I can talk about finding a partner, forming a group, but hesitate to give advise about on-line exchanges. I have two lovely friends who I’d love to critique with but am unsure how to go.

So again, what do you suggest?

I appreciate any help you can offer.

I’m giving my talk in the 16th and will share my results on my next blog.

Please follow, friend or like me. I love to hear from my readers.

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Anatomy of a Critique by Leah St. James

After an almost two-year “hiatus,” I’ve finally returned to work on a full-length fiction project. It’s the sequel to my debut novel ("Surrender to Sanctuary"), currently titled “Sanctuary’s Promise.” Before starting, I read through what I’d written and realized one reason why I’d stopped: I’d written myself into the weeds with a plot so convoluted, I couldn’t have hacked my way out with a machete!

To the rescue was my CP (a/k/a hubby). In my family we call him the “Plot Master” because he has this annoying ability to guess the plot of almost every movie and TV show (including twists and turns) within minutes. He spent about a month reading my draft and taking notes and giving me silent “What were you thinking?” head shakes. When he was done, he had filled a one-inch binder with notes and suggestions.

When I hefted the binder in my hands, my first instinct was to run back to my non-writing cave and lose myself in Facebook, but then I put on my big girl undies and went to work. After reading through his notes twice, I realized how right he was about much of it. Still, I didn’t agree with everything he suggested. In fact, our initial conversation went something like this:

Me: (Tosses binder on the couch and heads to the kitchen for a bracing cup of English breakfast tea.)

Him: (Shouting at my back) “I guess you don’t like my suggestions?”

Me: (Back in the living room) “I am NOT writing another how-to novel on erotic lifestyles! The sequel isn’t about that. It’s about the murder of (secret plot point) and the discovery of (another secret plot point)!"

Him: (Throws up hands) “Okay, fine. But what about the rest? You have the characters ALL WRONG.”

Me: “How the heck (word changed to protect this blog’s PG rating) would you know? They’re MY characters!”

Him: “You’re right, Leah. It’s your book. Do what you want.” (Turns his attention to his tablet for another game of solitaire.)

After several moments of self-reflection during which I felt like an a** because he had put a lot of thought into his suggestions and much of his critiques were spot on (and yes, I know how lucky I am that my husband cares so much and can share in my process!), I convinced him to sit with me to review and discuss in depth. We spent the afternoon brainstorming (he actually liked some of my new ideas!), and now I have a pared-down, streamlined plot that has me enthused about the story and about writing again.

Since then I can’t say I’ve been burning up the page count stats, but I am writing again, and I am enjoying the process. I’m looking forward to sharing my progress in the weeks/months ahead!

For now, I’ve dropped the price on that first book, and my second , to 99 cents through the month of September. They’re available only on Kindle and are included in the Kindle Unlimited program so subscribers can read for free.

SURRENDER TO SANCTUARY
Romantic Suspense / Adult (Erotic Theme)


FBI agents Anna Parker and David Owens go undercover into a world of domination and submission to solve a murder at the Jersey Shore. Read more, including the story behind the story and an excerpt here.

Amazon

ADRIENNE’S GHOST

Paranormal Romantic Suspense Novella
Finalist, 2012 International Digital Awards (short paranormal category)

When the body of an FBI recruit is discovered in the basement of FBI Headquarters, agent Jackson Yates teams up with paranormal psychologist Rachael Sullivan to find her killer. The ghost tags along to help. :-) More here.

Amazon




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Leah writes stories of crime and passion, mystery and suspense, and most of all love. She loves to chat with readers on Facebook and occasionally posts things on Pinterest (like recipes that look good that she’ll probably never make).

To Mentor or Not To Mentor

~~ Vonnie Davis

Almost a year ago, I listed my name on RWA's site for finding a critique partner. The two I had before were great. Awesome. So good, in fact, they had each contracted a series with close deadlines. I felt, with all the pressure involved with the growth of their writing careers, I was adding extra stress by asking them to stop working on their stuff to read my chapters. So, maybe I could find someone who was less strained for time. Who didn't have deadlines, edits, and promo of new releases constantly  looming.

A young mother contacted me. She'd never been published. Okay, I could work with that. I was being told by my editor, at the time, that I wrote old. My word usage was dated. So, a younger adult could help me be more current. Win-Win.

She sent me her first chapter. There were several problems. Not huge, mind you. Newbie problems. Ones I'd made myself years ago. Okay, ones I still make before I do a hard edit. How much more honest can I get with y'all? Even so, beneath the almost constant use of that, just, and only, I could see talent beaming through. She didn't have "telling" versus "showing" nailed down so I sent her lessons I'd written for Savvy Authors.

In short, I mentored her.

She wasn't my first. Like many of you probably have, I've mentored others over the years. All are now published, except for one who just couldn't get the concept of popping heads. That the pov character couldn't see the person on the other end of a phone conversation shake her head. I'd helped her for over a year with little improvement. Finally, I had to cut her loose.

Not with this new young woman. She wanted to learn. Whatever instructions I gave her, she soaked up like a sponge. Slowly, the lovely woman I mentored became a stronger writer and a valuable critique partner. She began to pick up on my weak points, which pleased me. Why? Because
I knew she was getting stronger.

Once her book was written, we went through the editing process together. I learned more about street drag racing than I ever knew there was to learn. She sent me YouTube videos on the sport to watch and get the gist of her writing topic. I helped her make her Young Adult romance shine with suggestions here and there. She'd learned so much in our time together as well as the online classes she'd taken, I just stepped back and watched her shine.

I gave her tips on how to write a synopsis and a query letter. I edited them for her. Not that I had much to do. She'd gotten it.

Since she has no agent, she went to the RWA site and got the listing of publishers that accept unagented submissions. She sent off her query package according to what each publisher requested on their website, exactly as they'd requested. I'd told her this was her first test as an author. Publishers figure if you can't follow directions on how to submit, how will you follow their editing instructions?

She listened.

Pardon me while I sound like a proud Mama. This young friend, who I've never met, who's never been published has a contract offer from a small publisher...AND full manuscript requests from The
Wild Rose Press, Lyrical, HarperImpulse, Siren, Harlequin, City Owl, Entangled, and Sourcebooks.
Several who are giving her submission prompt special attention because of her contract offer from a small publisher.

So, mentoring turned into critiquing and a great friendship. Candice writing as Leslie, you go girl!

The Advantages of a Solid Critique by Jannine Gallant

Who wants to be told our books have issues--lots of issues? Uh, not me. I'd rather hear it's perfect out of the gate. Too bad that's NEVER the case. Usually I have mixed feelings when I send my finished manuscript off to my CP because I know she's going to point out everything I did wrong. Some things I agree with. Some things I don't. But, here's where both sorts of comments help.

1) Frequently I know in the back of my mind that something isn't working. Let's take my most recent effort, Wilde Side (Book Two in my new Borne To Be Wilde series), which Margo just sent back with pages and pages of (minor) suggestions. Minor is her word. My thought was, "Are you freaking kidding me!" The opening is a white water rafting trip with a congressman who is running for president, his aide (the heroine), the rafting guides (owner of company is the hero), c-man's male relatives to make him look like a family man to the voting public, and the media who are filming/writing an article about the trip. LOTS of people. Margo's comments were things like, "Who's this guy--I can't keep them all straight." Huge sigh. I was a little worried about this. Let me stress that someone is trying to kill the congressman, so I need suspects present. But I had too many extras. Solution: I ditched the journalist and his cameraman and stuck with only the two man video team. Of course one of my suspects was the journalist, so I had to rewrite some of his sections to switch him to video. (More heavy sighs.) But, it was easier than I thought it would be. The result was a tighter group with less confusion. (I hope!) My point is it took a fresh pair of eyes to see what I couldn't. And she was completely right about there being too many people.

2) Next up - repeated comments that this or that doesn't work, and I need to change it. My reaction, "Is she crazy? It works just fine!" After simmering down and mulling over the part in question, I asked myself why it didn't work for her. Let's take the part I'm "fixing" right now. My heroine and the congressman have been knocked off a cliff and are holding on for dear life. Comments about the rocks that knocked them over and facial expression that couldn't be seen from above abound. All of it seemed completely fine to me. I could picture the whole scene... Too bad Margo was picturing something completely different. I didn't have enough detail to make my vision clear. Adding in a few sentences should solve this problem, and I'm able to leave it the way I want it. Turned out to be an easy (but necessary) fix.

3) Sometimes she points out problems that I don't really believe are problems and suggests solutions to solve said problems that I don't want to do. I'm left stuttering to myself, "But...but...that's not what I want to have happen." We've gone back and forth about this one. Kidnapping occurs, and kidnapper has to haul his victim across a couple of states. Her comments are about how, "This is crazy because no kidnapper would give his victim that much opportunity to escape. Change the location they go to to someplace closer." I don't want to change the location. I set up this location with a ton of effort and have multiple reasons for not finding a new one. So, I looked at the problem behind the problem. The probability that my heroine would get away during this journey. My solution is to make the kidnapper colder and more aggressive. If he has to get gas or food, he gives her the old Vulcan nerve pinch to the neck to knock her out. If she has to pee, she's going to have to do it in the bushes not at a gas station. I sort of skipped to the end of the trip without filling in how they get there, but I need to go back and add these details to make my "must have" road trip work for a discerning reader. So, the drastic (my word not hers--she's still saying minor! LOL) changes she wanted aren't going to happen in this case. But, I will do my best to address the concerns that caused the suggestions.

So, whether or not you agree with everything your CP has to say, my advice is to look deeper into why she's saying it. Chances are there is something behind the suggestion that needs to be addressed. You may not want to solve the problem one way, but it would behoove (love that word!) you to dig into the underlying issue and give your story more clarity. And, if you're sending your poor little manuscript off to your editor with no critique beforehand, you can probably expect to have to address far more problems with someone you can't say no to. Do yourself a favor and get a CP who isn't afraid to tell you when your writing sucks and save yourself a lot of headaches down the road. I'd far rather fix problems my way than an editor's way.

I'll shut up now with the sage advice. Happy writing!

Find info and buy links for all my books on my website.

Retirement? Hah! by Alison Henderson

When I retired two years ago, my sister told me not to worry about being bored. Stuff would materialize to fill my time before I knew it. Boy, was she right.

I’ve always considered myself an energetic person. Before retirement, I had worked full-time outside the home for decades while raising a family, managing a home, and writing four books. I expected that level of activity to continue, only now—without the outside job—I would be able to increase my writing output exponentially. Right? Wrong.

I neglected to consider the seductive power of slower mornings. I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep in more than nine years. (I’m sixty, so you can probably guess the cause.) The last few years I worked, that early-morning alarm became a snarling monster, out to sabotage my mood, my motivation, and my health. Of all the benefits of retirement, being able to grab an extra hour of sleep—no matter how fitful—is my favorite.

However, lolling around in the morning, reading the paper and having breakfast in my pj’s, comes with a price. Throw in a little gardening or an errand or two, and the morning has disappeared. Social media has to take some of the blame. When I retired, we moved from Minnesota to California. The weather is fantastic, but I lost my in-person social contacts. Also, due to the time difference, I feel like I’m behind the rest of the country by the time I sit down for breakfast. I want to catch up with old and new friends on social media and check out what’s happening in the world. More time gone.

And then there’s OG. He’s around all the time. When I worked and he was home alone, I didn’t worry too much about him. He was responsible for his own time. That’s just the way things were. Now I feel guilty if I don’t spend enough time with him, don’t give him enough interaction and attention. I used to come home from work, fix dinner, watch TV with him for an hour, and then retire to my office to write. I never felt guilty. I’m not sure why the dynamic is so different now, but it is. Maybe it’s because retirement is an adventure we’re facing together in a new place, with few social contacts aside from each other. I would tell OG to get out there, do something, make friends, except that he is by nature a grumpy, old hermit and would tell me to buzz off.

Fortunately, he likes to take a siesta every day after lunch. That’s my me time, my writing time. If I were good and wrote every day, those two or three hours would be sufficient to accomplish my writing goals, but during the upheaval of our relocation I let my writing slide. Now, it’s like I’ve fallen off the horse and forgotten how to get back on. Whenever a writer tells you how important a regular writing schedule is, LISTEN TO THEM. It is so much harder to get your groove back once you’ve lost it.

Last year, for the first time in five years, I didn’t have a new book out. I’m determined not to let that happen again. I know myself and my level of ambition and motivation—I’m not likely to want to do what it takes to publish two or three titles a year—but I do want to publish one book a year on a steady, routine basis. This year, SMALL TOWN CHRISTMAS TALES is on target for a fall release, and I’ve started the second book in my female bodyguard series. I know I can finish that one next year if I muster the necessary self-discipline.

To help keep me on track, I’ve recently connected with two new critique partners, fellow Roses of Prose. I’m now responsible to other writers to produce pages on a regular basis for the first time in years. I’m excited by the possibilities. Wish me luck!

Alison

www.alisonhenderson.com

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/alsnhendersn

Working with a Critique Partner by Jannine Gallant

Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success. ~ Henry Ford

Sounds like a marriage, right? It is, in a way. There can be ups and downs--but there's also mutual support. I'm talking about your relationship with your critique partner. What, you don't have one? You're missing out. Go hunt one down and haul her back to your writing cave...

The first step is finding a CP you can live with--so to speak. Some handy tips. You'll want to enjoy her writing. You'll be reading a lot of it. And she'll want to enjoy yours for the same reason. Second, having similar output is a plus. I have to admit to shamelessly abusing Margo (yes, our very own Margo is my CP) in this area. I write faster, but I do go over her stuff more often since she likes to change up her WIP on a regular basis. So, I think it's all good. Third, you need to be able to take each other's criticism without getting all bent out of shape. That means finding someone you can communicate with. Also, find someone who's strengths compliment your own weaknesses. Part One ~The Beginning has been covered! You're on your way...

Part Two ~Staying Together. Lot's of reasons why CP's go their separate ways. I think time can be a big factor. When you embark on this relationship, be prepared to put some time into it. Yes, you're busy with your own stuff. Believe me, your own stuff will benefit from the time invested. Sometimes CP's branch out into genres you aren't excited to read. Discuss this ahead of time. Make sure you're both on the same page or can live with any changes. Communicate. (Sounds like that marriage again, doesn't it? LOL) Mutual respect for each other's work and advice will go a long way toward keeping the relationship healthy. I promise.

And finally, Part Three ~ Success! Your book stands a much better chance of success if you have a CP. She's going to look at your baby in ways you haven't--and see the shortcomings. You may not always agree. You may take some of the advice but not all of it. BUT, I guarantee it will get you thinking about ways to make your writing stronger. I like to focus on the plot--to the detriment of fully developing the personal relationships between my protagonists. Margo is all about what her characters are thinking and feeling, and sometimes the plot stalls in the process. She tells me my characters haven't kissed or talked about their feelings in three chapters because I'm so focused on having them get away from the bad guy. I tell her that her characters are thinking things to death while nothing much is happening around them. Our WIPs are improved by these insights into our weaknesses. And hopefully, once we've made some changes, both our chances of success go up, up, up!

So, if you have a CP, tell her thanks for her hard work and support on your behalf. If you don't, go find one. You'll be glad you did. Any other tips for a successful partnership you want to share? Please do.

Here's my shout out! Thanks, Margo, for making my writing better!

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