posted
Update: So people who are friends with me on Facebook know that last night I was practically suicidal over my story. After writing 13k words, and being at the end, suddenly I found that the story just was not what I wanted it to be. Not satisfying, not convincing, and just...not. Seriously broken. I was so very upset, and almost convinced that I would have to, YET AGAIN, throw in the towel. But I wouldn't let myself. I pushed and pushed, and this morning had the epiphany I needed to continue on and make the story work. IT's going to need a lot of work though (it's a complete rewrite). Would it be OK with you all if I sent my story late (which means it might go to second group late as well)? I am still reviewing everyone's stories on schedule. I just need more time for this one. I am not giving up!!
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posted
Question from a newbie to this group. When we send out the second drafts, are they going to the same readers as saw the first drafts, or do we re-shuffle?
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quote:Originally posted by rabirch: Question from a newbie to this group. When we send out the second drafts, are they going to the same readers as saw the first drafts, or do we re-shuffle?
You send it to a different group. Dan will let us know when it gets closer to that date.
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LOL I don't think I would inflict this upon my poor critters . If only stupid family vacation wasn't next week! Grrr.... (it's an IN-LAW vacation. I might be able to get a good horror story from it...)
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I'm so spastic this quarter! Agh... my stories are running roughshod away from me and I can't rein them in. I'll get something out soon. I swear.....
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I'm very late, but I had a novel first draft to finish and this behemoth came in at 14K words.
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I've sent out my crit for the one story I've received. Hopefully it was more helpful and more what was expected.
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Just got my second draft done! I really appreciate how this group has gotten me to get myself in gear much earlier in the quarter than I usually do.
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I should have people's crits out by the end of the week. Ugh. Hopefully I'll get back to writing my story soon.
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Melanie, I still owe you a crit from a while back. If you want another set of eyes - even late, I would only be too pleased... mbwood
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OK great! I definitely should have this done in the two months I have left until the contest deadline, but for the purposes of this group, it's probably going to be a bit late. SO any eyes will be appreciated .
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Don't feel bad Melanie, between weddings, babysitting and what not I'm just getting around to really working on this quarter's story.
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LOL glad I'm not the only one!! I can't even say I'm a slacker, because I can barely breathe for the amount of stuff I have to do. BUT, A Yeatts and Greenroom, you should both have received my crits by now . Owasm, you're in the hot seat next!
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Right there with you, Melanie. I haven't gotten to bed before 1:30am for the last 3 months, just trying to keep up with everything I have to do, let alone trying to diminish the pile. Although, I did get 3 more reviews done for EBR this week (pulled an all-nighter on Monday to do it), AND I got one of my two crits for this round finished last night (woo-hoo!), AND I got two more chapters of my buddy's YA novel critiqued as well. Give it time. It'll pass. It can't stay psycho for forever. : Best of luck with YOUR list. And know that you're definitely not alone.
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I feel left out...I'm not as busy as a lot of you are, only reasons for me to get in bed late is that I'm too jazzed about what I'm writing at the moment and that has only happened for a only twenty or so minutes, a couple of times.
And I better get busy on my story, I have two days to get it ready for the second group. But I don't think too many people will mind if I'm a bit late this time around. I have another story I want to finish. It's going way long but it's almost done. I say way long but it will be under 2,000 words. That is loong it was suppose to be a fun, simple story of around 200 words. Opps.
Now it might introduce a character for a novel.
Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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posted
I think I'm going to have to drop out of the second group. I know that's bad form. It was idiotic of me to think I could finish a story this month. It's the busiest month of the year at both work and home.
I've got one more critique to turn in (soon! sorry!), but I won't have a story for swap until next month, and I'm afraid I don't have time to critique for the second group.
Thanks for letting me participate in the first group. Next year, I'll definitely sit out the Q4 critique group.
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I'm sorry to hear it, Strycher. You'll have something done for the quarter, though, if I'm reading your post right? That's the big thing.
Is there anybody else ready for second draft swap time? I think I've hammered my story as far as I can take it for this time around.
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Thanks much, WriterDan! Once again, I'll say how grateful I am for these deadlines. I work SO much better with deadlines. Posts: 248 | Registered: May 2012
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I let myself get sidetracked with small and minis stories I wrote. One fifty word mini is for an On The Premises contest. Others were just for fun, anyway my plan is to work on the revision this weekend.
Oops, that reminds me I have to finish another revision so I can send the story to F&SF Saturday. And I have a story to send to Flash Fic. But that last won't take long.
I have received one story for round Two. Sounds intriguing from the opening----which is all I will say about it.
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Whew. Done. Sent mine out to group 1. I've only received one story from group 2 to crit. Let me know if I somehow missed any or if you didn't receive mine.
This group is such a huge help. Thanks to all! Posts: 207 | Registered: May 2011
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Owasm I sent your round 1 crit out today, and Boone, I sent your 2nd round one.
I have no idea when I will have this story done--I found out a week and a half ago that I placed in a romance novel writing contest (I will find out 1st, 2nd or 3rd in October), and that means I have to finish that sucker by October. I am really tickled by this news, but it leaves me little time to work on my science fiction! But Brendan and Louis, don't hesitate to send me your stories when you are done--I will still critique!
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Partially revised another story and sent it out for the first time, wrote a 50 word story and sent it, which means I slowed myself down on the revision but it is still moving on ahead--maybe not done by Sunday though.
Some good comments and my heart felt appreciation to the critiquers. Even though those side comments get a little confusing when the arrow points somewhere else. It's amazing what I missed. And one word I was asked if I wanted it that way or not. I remember I had it right once, I don't know when it got switched or why.
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posted
I finished the one story I received for the second round. It's the type of crit I don't like. The writing is good enough that it's hard for me to find something to say. I was able to give a handful of suggestions and found a couple of nitpicks. I still wonder how people do that.
The biggest problem was the cliche opening, which is all I will say here, but I suggested reading David's "Kick" about cliche openings.
That could be good for everyone here. You would have to scroll down a bit to find it but still it would be worth it.
posted
Okay, I received another story for the second round. Finished the crit of the first story.
One confession, that type of story makes me a bit jealous. The writing was good enough that I almost reached the end of my knowledge. I made a few suggestions and spotted a couple of small places that could have been done better but there wasn't much I could say about most of it. I might be the only one here with this problem but it happens every so often. At times I wish I could write that well.
I'm working on mine. Cutting out more of that large scene that takes place in the second half of the story and I will probably cut the awards ceremony. I never did like it, so I think I will leave him at a certain point waiting.
Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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Going out of town this weekend--wedding anniversary trip to the mountains. So there won't be any crits from me 'till next week. I think there's only one to go anyway.
And no story from me 'till maybe Tuesday.
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I know I missed the signup for this group, but I just finished revised my 2011 HM story, cutting it down from 16k to 10k words. I plan to submit it for this quarter.
If anyone from this group would be interested in exchanging crits, just shoot me an e-mail.
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You might try me but there's one story ahead of you I need to crit.
And my story to finish revising. I managed to cut 1,000 words from it. Some from sentences I tightened or did away with but most from cutting bits from some action that took half the story at least. I'm thinking of cutting even more.
Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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So far I'm not as far along with my story as I thought I would be. But I did start the crit for the last story I have received. Mostly done with it too. It might be longer than usual for me.
And I need to get a short story revised to send out to F&SF this weekend. Somewhere between 10 and 13 stories in a row there. I keep expecting Stephen to say something like enough--it's not helping. Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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I was going to work on my story tonight for ten or twenty minutes. But the first thing marked on one crit got my thinking about the opening. The rhythm seemed off. I changed sentences, rearranged others, deleted one or two all, in the opening. I have no idea if it really reads better. It does to me and it seems to follow what I have learned about openings but as I said I really don't know if it really is better, or if the old way was as bad as it seemed.
Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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Okay finished all the revising, well need to go over it one more time to make sure everything is in order.
But I ended up changing so much that by the time I got to the third and fourth crits some of the advice I had received wasn't current anymore, I usually don't do that but in this story it needed it--I hope.
I may try to cut twenty or so words to make it officially under 9,000 words. That final Loong scene still is too long, I think, anyway.
Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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Finished mine and sent it to group three. If the groups are still active, as I said in my note don't worry if someone dropped out or is too busy now, since it's late.
Part of the reason it's late is because of the restructuring I did and part because of all the nitpicks and bad writing that had to be fixed.
Group Two : sorry for all the extra work but you all did a good job and I appreciate it even if I cut some of what you critted out.
Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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But I realized why I am so unsure of this story all of a sudden.
I've never done so much reconstructing on a story before. I set out for a trim and ended up with a complete shampoo-color, conditioning, cut and styling with hair extensions.
I'n afraid I created a Frankenstein monster even though in this case I haven't added any bits from other stories so it's more like a clay figure. I cut some off, added bits of new clay, scrapped more off, reformed some parts, added more clay, moved parts around. So I end up with something with three shades of clay and even though certain parts look more like they are suppose to I'm not really sure about how it fits together or the whole effect.
The forehead and horn of the unicorn--there's no unicorn in my story--look great, maybe even award winning but the flank and the tail, well I tried. You know what it's suppose to be but beyond that I can't say.
But on the good side, with the final go over I found few nitpicks, which may not mean much, and it seems to be mostly seamless, now. I found a couple of places that were not seamless but I fixed those.
But it is still my writing when all is said and done.
I changed the title when I decided to make it a whole new story.
Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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I'm not in the group, but I am submitted as of 15 minutes ago. I didn't even think of the idea for my story until about mid-September. I'm proud of how it turned out, but I'm not sure it's quite the right fit for WotF. We'll see what DW thinks in about three or four months.
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And I say thanks to those who critted mine. A lot of hard work there even though I'm glad to say the second version had a lot less comments on it then the first version.
Even though I must say that if it does get in you may not recognize parts of it. I explained a couple of how he was able to do something and I added some more danger to my MC and made a couple of points harder for him. David seems to like it when things do not come easy for your MC.
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. If only stupid family vacation wasn't next week! Grrr.... (it's an IN-LAW vacation. I might be able to get a good horror story from it...)
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