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Just to set expectations - while I will be open to critting for others soon (T-5 days and counting!) I don't expect to have time to crit 8 or 10 other stories. I give pretty detailed crits, they're not for everybody, but I find that when I notice something I have to comment on it (and I type fast so I often write in a lot of general comments.) So...anyway, they take me a while, a couple hours isn't unusual for a WOTF-length project.
I suggest as we move forward with the combo group, that people try to do their best to pair up - I'll crit yours, you crit mine. People who are open and available to crit should always say so, perhaps those of you who submit early will be interested in critting even if you don't need the return favor, but for the rest of us it might be the best way to try to make sure things are even. I also get frustrated when I send out for crits to 5 people and only get 2 replies back. I have been guilty of non-reply myself, so I know things happen, but I just wanted to mention it. Hopefully we can avoid this within this group since everyone is working toward the same goal.
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KayTi, you want to exchange crits? I'm close to finished with "Fish Story." I just ran it past my tecno friends. They said they knew someone who was planning something very much like what I wrote about on Europa even.
Hard to get ahead of these guys. I think "China Station" is beyond them still.
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arikki - sounds great, just need these first few days (Weds-Fri probably) while the kids get to school to check and see what gives with my current draft. There are a few scenes I left at a description-level that I know I need to dramatize. It won't take me long. If you want to send along, knowing I won't be able to look in detail until later this coming week, please do. My email info hasn't changed, but holler here if you need it (I don't post it.) Posts: 1911 | Registered: Mar 2007
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I am nearly done with your story. To the rest of you I will probably bow out of anymore crits. I already sent mine 7 weeks ago and I am hip deep in obligations. Unless any of you are willing to do an early, early critique for my 2009 Q01 submission.
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The idea that "criticism" = "negative" is a connotation, I believe, not a denotation (respectively, the meaning something has come to have, as opposed to the original definition).
"Criticism" of a written work is a form of analysis, and is not necessarily negative.
Because of the negative connotation, however, I prefer to use the term "critique" and (like Humpty Dumpty) have it mean "feedback," positive as well as negative.
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I usually avoid any positive/negative stuff and go for:
constructive criticism
Comments about things that are not done well enough, that if changed will make the story better. The tone is the thing that does it, I think. You can be negative in tone when giving a critique, and it's best to avoid that if at all possible. So, stay positive, but try to point things out that can be done better so that the author can make the story great.
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I do think pointing out things that the author does well is just as important as pointing out things that don't work, though in a way harder. I supposed that could fall under the umbrella of "constructive" criticism.
Posts: 2185 | Registered: Aug 2007
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posted
I personally have found a wide array of critical voices among the Hatrack community. I've found that if I find a critique to be rude or tactless I will put it aside and come back to it later. Usually I either see that they weren't being that rude but rather I was being defensive, or I find that they are lacking tact and I can just read between the lines.
It can be hard to convey criticism without seeming negative. Sprinkling comments about what a writer is doing right isn't just blowing smoke, but is encouraging them that they are at least partially on the right track.
I think I have my final draft ready if anyone is interested in readying before I send it off. Many of you have read the many iterations of this story and I'm grateful. I won't be send this last one out to everyone as I've already asked much of you.
If you are interested in reading the final draft then please reply here.
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I've got "Fish Story" all printed out, mailing envelopes addressed and ready to go. All I have to do now is get someone around here to go over the mss and make certain that the printer did not skip printing any lines or make any other printer errors. Unlike last time.
Posts: 1580 | Registered: Dec 2005
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Okay, so the first draft of the second incarnation of my story is finally finished. I'm sending it out now to those people on the most recent list. I'm even done a whole day before promised. Man do I deliver. lol Congrats to those that have gotten their stories off already! You made the deadline for the group and are a good example for me. Now off to the next one.
Posts: 599 | Registered: Sep 2007
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arriki, I'll have a look this weekend, or so is my plan. Sorry I haven't had the chance to get to it yet.
Posts: 1911 | Registered: Mar 2007
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When are you going to open the next quarter's topic?
I'm already debating whether to polish and submit "The Vanishing Basement" or "Cory Falls From Grace." The former is a fun sort of juvenile adventure. The latter is a very dark, very adult fantasy.
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Okay, is anyone missing a crit from me? If so, please let me know. I guess I haven't gotten my story out for a second round yet. Sigh...
Posts: 2185 | Registered: Aug 2007
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Then work on your story and don't worry about our crits, annepin. There are enough people in the group that we'll be able to cover it. Even if you do give great critiques. Now go write.
Posts: 599 | Registered: Sep 2007
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So, I've only received one crit back from the initial send out that I did for my Q04 story. I've actually been drafting quite a bit after that one crit came back (thanks to arriki), and so I wanted to put it out that if you haven't started reading my story yet, to just wait for the second draft. There were a lot of things that I had to fix and clarify. I'm pushing for a new send out prior to this weekend. Was up till 2:30 this morning working on it, and I'm dragging today. Will work to have it done though. Luck to everyone.
Posts: 599 | Registered: Sep 2007
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Okay, so I finally got my next draft out. I've sent it to a bunch of people, but I don't know if I got everyone. If you didn't get an email recently from me with a story, and you're open to crit, let me know and I'll send it over to you. KayTi, I only have your email on my school computer, so I'll send you a copy on Monday. And Annepin, I didn't send my story to you either. If you find time, let me know. Otherwise, your time is yours. You'll have to exucse me any mistakes that I made. It is 3am after all. I think I'm going to go pass out now. Hapy writing/drafting/critiquing all.
Posts: 599 | Registered: Sep 2007
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posted
I guess I'm having some email troubles this morning. Some screwy ones. I'm sending emails from one account, and getting "Errors" from that email on a different account (email sent to no one...). So, I don't know if my attempts to get through to people today is working or not. I tried twice to send out my new story to annepin, Zero, Anthony, and KayTi. If any of you guys didn't get it, let me know and I'll try to send it again once my email is working. Then again, if you got it let me know, so I'll stop bugging people. Sorry for the mess, but it's really not my fault this time...
Posts: 599 | Registered: Sep 2007
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I'll try again when I get back to the office tomorrow morn... uh, in a handful of hours. Up writing my entry for Q01 2009. The error that I was getting was the typical "MAil Subsystem Delivery Failure" message. The funky thing though was that I was sending it from my writerdangaidin email, and the error message was coming back to me through another personal email that I have. True, they're both gmail, but I just thought that was weird. Anyhow, I'll try again tomorrow. I meant to give it a go before I left to go home, but I had a breakthrough in my computer code and got so excited about it that I totally forgot. Will see what happens and let you know. Thanks for the responses. Ha, ha. And congrats again, annepin.
[This message has been edited by WriterDan (edited September 16, 2008).]
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Hey, if anyone is willing, I need a couple people who haven't read Loser Drummer yet (only Dan and Annie have), to give me a quick read through. Anyone else who hasn't sent their story in yet, let me know if you need it read a final time. I can read it over the weekend.
Posts: 65 | Registered: Sep 2007
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Ah, hope none of you took my last post to be a stab to get a critique for me done more quickly. Didn't realize that it might have looked like that until now. Completely wasn't meant to be. Just wanted to give some good encouragement to everyone. Sorry, my timing was bad. Anyone else have their stories ready for a critique? Send em my way. I'm ready. Thanks all.
Posts: 599 | Registered: Sep 2007
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BC and Dan I have your stories and will read them....soon! this weekend at the latest. Sorry for the long delay. I will return the favor with my latest story around the same time and appreciate your feedback.
Posts: 1911 | Registered: Mar 2007
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