Anyone is welcome to join. If you do though, please follow the directions for such. Currently, the group consists of me:
WriterDan

If you want to join the group for this quarter, please re-post the current names list in a reply and add your name to the bottom.

Deadlines for this quarter's crits are as follows:

December 1st: Start writing
January 21st: First drafts out for crits
February 14th: Second drafts out for crits
March 7th: Mail-in final drafts for Q02

Note: The official mail-in deadline for this quarter is March 31st; however, this group's deadlines are set up so that all entries can be mailed well before the deadline and hopefully beat the rush at the end of the quarter.

When you send out drafts for critique, please do so in a generic format so that everyone will be able to open your file. (eg. rtf, txt. Pdf is okay too, but won't allow for in-text comments.)

Sign up! And let's get busy writing!

Helpful links:
http://www.hatrack.com/forums/writers/forum/Forum5/HTML/000060.html

WOTF 2nd quarter 2009(early submissions)
WriterDan
Patrick James
Snapper
darklight
AWSullivan
arriki

I'm going to try this, but I'm not sure if I'll have time to complete it within the limits suggested. Oh, and no one go and start quoting Yoda on me.

Just had some inspiration peoples, and I am STOKED for this quarter!

Had an idea for a story this quarter that I was pretty ho-hum about, and didn't really have an ending for yet. It was interesting, but not KA-POW, you know?

So, the other day I listened to this podcast on podcastle that I didn't particularly care for, but it got me thinking.

And most times, that's all it takes for my ideas to come.

Eep. Eep.

Yes, even the crickets agree: I am a slacker. Just got back from a whirlwind tour including my little brother's wedding, not to mention Holiday fun with the family. Was all a blast, but made my vacation time fly out the window like the proverbial finch. Actually, still suffering from the shock that I'm back at school. Ugh.

Anyhow, was curious where everyone else was sitting, and if maybe anyone else could use a bit of a delay on our first deadline. Would just like to know where everything is sitting for this upcoming quarter.

Luckily, I finished plotting my story on the bus this afternoon as I was riding up to school. Have to admit that I'm pretty excited about it. And all this after hours of contemplation on the big Q-word in relation to WotF. Sheesh.

Look, I got something done but it still needs work, and unfortunately, I have other loose ends to tie up. Just as soon as I get this old story fixed up I'll get back to my WotF and then bug the rest of you.

I am going to polish up THE VANISHING BASEMENT for this quarter. Take a two week break and write a first draft of a totally (or maybe finish the one set on Cyddonia Station -- orbiting Mars) new story from the list of ideas above my desk and then I'll finish Cory for the third quarter.

Think I can hold to that schedule?

Yea?

Editing to say I sent it away to everyone. Let me know if I missed ya.

Edited to add question mark.

I'm open for any critting. Send yours my way. I'm not quite done with my story yet. Have it all plotted, just getting the prose out of my head now. Coming along slowly but surely.

There are some bad flaws -- in my opinion -- that you need to fix. they're tricky ones having to do with the whole thing relying on double entendre.

First, it’s kind of like the advice that Donald Wollheim used to give out. He said that he always read the first page of a mss then (if that passed muster) the last page, to see if they were on the same subject.

In THE THIRD ACT by Drew Yanno (a screenwriting text but I read those for insight to story and plot and stuff like that),Yannoe talks about stories failing because the question raised in chapter one isn’t answered in chapter three (the last act).

In my latest story about a basement, I have all this happening with a basement but don’t really get down to answering the question raised that Tommy doesn’t believe in basements. Looking at the story as a whole I can see this is a weakness. The lack does not ruin the story. It’s more like a stumble, as if a step were too tall or too low as you’re coming down a set of stairs. However, stumbles like this are reasons why stories don’t get to finals, or, maybe, even to honorable mentions when they seem okay to the casual reader.

That’s what I’m struggling with right now on m WOTF story – answering the first question. That and the ending itself which Yanno says the third act is all about the final battle. Set up, the final battle, outcome of the final battle, denouement, and “the bridge.”

What do you guys think?

I’ve felt a weakness both in the basement story and in “Cory.” I think this may be part of, if not the whole, problem. And, as I come to understand this concept better, I think I’m going to be looking for or finding it in your stories as I critique them.

Ready to recieve stories from everyone too. How's it all going? I've spent the last few weeks going over a novel I just entered into the Amazon Breakthrough contest but ready now to get back into WotF.

Still working on my story. New one about...well...good stuff.

Go ahead and send your story out to everyone on the list, darklight. In fact, here it is again so you don't have to go searching.

WriterDan
Patrick James
Snapper
darklight
AWSullivan
arriki
philocinemas

I'm reading the full moon thing and the first sentence stopped me cold.

Critiques were sometimes as short as: Needs work... and I dont know where to begin.