The general idea would be to provide a web site where authors could upload work they've written and critique other work. Then, with the author's permission, both work & critiques could be added to a public gallery, which could be a helpful resource.

The main problem, I suspect, is that it would become a site where people uploaded stories and never got anything back, or a collection of junk that was never really intended to be taken seriously. To combat this, I would suggest that in order to upload a story, you must critique somebody else's first.

Obviously, a few initial stories would have to be put online first to get things rolling, but after that, it should be kept fairly serious.

Comments? Would people here use a site like that? Or have I missed an obvious flaw?

 

I think that's why this site is run this way...ask for volunteers to critique then e-mail the work. That way you don't inadvertantly give up first rights to your work.
 

Critters requires membership, and posts stories in a members only area (I suspect any other site offering critiques for work intended for eventual publication must do something similar). A number of the members of this site have used critters (I myself never got around to sending them a story...you have to critique for a while before you can submit, and a lot of the stories there aren't worth reading--though a few were diamonds, in my not so humble opinion).

The system here is more informal, but you usually know something about the writing style of a work's author (and the critiquing style of the reader) before you get into it. I think that a lot of the members here are members [i]here--rather than elsewhere--for just that reason.

Of course, a lot of us are here because we're fans of OSC's work, but that hasn't been enough to keep me on any of his other sites and it wouldn't be enough to keep me here either if I didn't like the essentials of how this site works.

But if you are looking for something like what you're suggesting above, then check out critters.org. Ask some of our industry insiders about other sites if critters is too big or impersonal for you (it was too impersonal for me--if a story was crappy I felt constrainted to ignore it rather than offer "help"--quote marks added to make meaning clear...er). It won't be too small, they have thousands of members (most are probably inactive, like me).
 

One reason I like this one is the format -- easier to read. More user friendly.
 

I was just wondering if it would make things easier for people, but I can see why problems occur.

I'll give this method a try. On the subject of which, I have a 6,500 word science fiction short story that I'd love to hear some comments on.

I think somebody suggested posting the first 13 lines of manuscript.... well, here we go. The first 12 lines of my manuscript contain 3 complete paragraphs:

Kurst knew long before they reached their destination that things change -- places and faces come and go over time. Once, a long time ago, this may have been home, but even though it still bore the same name, it was no longer home in any true sense of the word. At least not for Kurst, or any of his crew.

He also knew, but not quite as far in advance, that something was wrong. And he was using every trick he knew to get there faster...

Ilic Senir took a brief opportunity to relax. The sun would rise in only ten minutes, and another busy day was ahead of him. He was in his office, which looked out over the grounds of the palace through two windows. Through one the Senate was visible in the half-light of those pre-dawn moments, and already the air temparature was beginning to rise.
 

I'll e-mail it tomorrow, all going well...
 

Anyway, you can send me a copy, if you like.