Q & A: manuscript critique
I was going to get all Larry-Davidesque and blog about nothing today ("My hair looks amazing! The cats are asleep! I fixed my wonky wifi card!") but I got a good question from a blog reader so I figured I'd justify my internet existence and answer that instead.
shaunee asks:
The problem Im having is that when I submit my work to contests or to a crit group it, without fail, tends to engender the following two responses: ohmygod I LOVE this. I L-O-V-E it or This is absolute crap. My dog is dead, did you kill him? I KNEW IT WAS YOU! You and your crappy manuscript!
...
Can you recommend some resources of the scifi/fantasy variety that are a bit more with the this is good and this is working, but this section here is problematic and heres why and a lot less with the I cant believe you and your crappy manuscript had the gall to kill my dog!?
For making me snicker (I've had a few of those "Your manuscript killled my dog/set my house on fire/brought the Black Death!" reactions myself) and because it's a valid question, I throw it open to commentators (and the original author of the question might want to click over to LJ, where the bulk of my comments come from.)
Personally, I've heard good things about the SFF critique site the Online Writing Workshop, so I'd start there. There's a fee, but they are shiny and legit and stuff and many of their members go on to publish. Loyal minions, feel free to chime in with others.
Originally published at Caitlin Kittredge.
shaunee asks:
The problem Im having is that when I submit my work to contests or to a crit group it, without fail, tends to engender the following two responses: ohmygod I LOVE this. I L-O-V-E it or This is absolute crap. My dog is dead, did you kill him? I KNEW IT WAS YOU! You and your crappy manuscript!
...
Can you recommend some resources of the scifi/fantasy variety that are a bit more with the this is good and this is working, but this section here is problematic and heres why and a lot less with the I cant believe you and your crappy manuscript had the gall to kill my dog!?
For making me snicker (I've had a few of those "Your manuscript killled my dog/set my house on fire/brought the Black Death!" reactions myself) and because it's a valid question, I throw it open to commentators (and the original author of the question might want to click over to LJ, where the bulk of my comments come from.)
Personally, I've heard good things about the SFF critique site the Online Writing Workshop, so I'd start there. There's a fee, but they are shiny and legit and stuff and many of their members go on to publish. Loyal minions, feel free to chime in with others.
Originally published at Caitlin Kittredge.