Weekly Notes
Notes for 01-Sep-2010...
Hi all, I wanted to start a sort of free-form dialog to get input
on how you all would want to see me structure an expansion to
Critters. I've long planned to add a workshop for more genres, like
Mystery, Mainstream/Literary, Romance, etc. As I sat down to map out
how to do that, I realized it shouldn't stop there, that it can easily
be expanded to include workshops for a number of other creative areas
that could benefit from the critique process, such as photography,
painting/drawing, music one performs and/or writes, films, web sites, etc.
Which brought up a lot of questions I wanted to get feedback on... So I'd
appreciate your thoughts. I've started a thread to keep them in one place:
http://newnewforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=584
-+-
Reminder, if you receive a critique you think is a bad one, don't argue
with the critter -- tell me. If I think it was generic copy&paste, rude,
in violation of the diplomacy standard, etc. etc. etc. then I'll have a
word with the critiquer. If you argue with them, it's just an argument.
If I chat with them, they'll probably break the bad habit, which will benefit
everyone else they ever critique.
Also a reminder, when critiquing, to avoid phrases like "the reader," "us,"
"you need to...," "you should...," "editors don't like...," the imperative
tone of voice, the Voice of Authority (aka "teacher voice" or "parent
voice"), or stating opinion as fact ("your first paragraph is weak").
Rather, "I felt your first paragraph was weak," "it didn't work for
me when you...," and so on. These get your thoughts past the author's
lizard brain defenses more than the former phrasings, which are the most
common source of raised hackles and complaints I get. Weird, but true. :)
-+-
Woohoo! Congratulations to...
- Rena Hawkins, who reports "I'm a new reviewer at Tangent
Online (http://www.tangentonline.com).". {My first review, of the
September 2010 issue of Analog, is now up on the Tangent website.
I always knew the skills I've learned at Critters would come
in handy!}
- Ken Liu, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Simulacrum"
to Lightspeed. {Thanks to everyone who critiqued the story.}
- Stephen Gaskell, who sold his short story, "Paper Cradle" to
Clarkesworld. {Story is scheduled to come out in the September
edition. Thanks to all.}
- Andrew Richarsdon, who sold his (Critter'd) novel, "The Doe
and the Dragon" to Rogue Phoenix Press.
Please report your Woohoo!s via the www.critters.org/telldaworld.ht web page.
-+-
This week's Most Productive Critter award, for 11 critiques (at time
of judging), averaging over 1500 words each, goes to...
Peter Kovic
To redeem an MPC, visit: www.critters.org/usempc.ht
Congratulations! To everyone else -- Crit early and often!
(For an explanation of the MPC award, see the www.critters.org/award.ht page.)
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This week we have... [available from http://www.critters.org/mss.ht ]...
Title Author
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Week of 1-Sep-2010 (Crits due 8-Sep-2010):
SF Laterally [mpc] David Barron -#18638
SF A Day in the Life of Marion James [mpc] Amber Hunter -#18639
SF Dream of Conquest Nicole Andrews -#18640
SF Tying Knots [@] Ken Liu -#18641
F The Hand with the Knife Jeff Chapman -#18642
SF The Sacrifice of Berra 4, chapter one David Erickson -#18643
F The Diver Sarah Gibbel -#18644
F Weird and Wonderful tony lavely -#18645
H Seven David Randall (Randy) Smith -#18646
F Calypso (Formerly Green Island) Anne Nicholson -#18647
H Untitled Short Story M. R. Zuchniak -#18648
SF Lingham 22 M.R. Zuchniak -#18649
SF Being, Bethany Victor Eremita -#18650
F Elemental Assassin - chapters 1-2 Rebecca Matthews -#18651
SF Hypnagogue M. I. Burton -#18652
SF How do I know you are not a human? David Allkins -#18653
F Grow Your Own Dinosaur J.P. Hooper -#18654
H The Take Christopher White -#18655
F Any Port in a Storm Patrick S. Tomlinson -#18656
F Anubis Arises Pam Bitner -#18657
F The Jongurian Mission, Chapter 1 Greg Strandberg -#18658
F Baptized Michael Gillen -#18659
F The Unpropitious Return of Antonio Dias Caldas Christopher Kastensmidt -#18660
SF Gap Years, Part 2 Gareth D Jones -#18661
SF Daniel the Duelist, Chapters 1-2 Derek Fair -#18662
F Spirit Shifter, Chapter 1 Gavin Cramblet -#18663
SF Ripples Deborah Jensen -#18664
F One Year Cameron Beman -#18665
Standard notes:
HELP:
If you need help with anything, see http://www.critters.org/help -- there
are FAQs and a form to ask questions.
HELPING CRITTERS:
Critters is donation funded & volunteer run, so if you'd like to
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HOW TO SEND CRITIQUES:
Remember to send the critiques directly to me, critters@critique.org, so
I can forward them to the authors _and_ give you credit for your effort.
Please send only one critique per mail message (makes it easier to
archive). Please make sure the "#" symbol and manuscript number are in
the email Subject: line, like Subject: #1234. (Conversely, if you want
ol' Aburt to personally read the message, i.e., it's _not_ a critique,
don't put a "#" in the subject or I won't see it. Also -- put my current
anti-spam code word in there: see http://www.critters.org/antispam.ht .)
You may also send your critiques via http://www.critters.org/webcrit.ht .
DIPLOMACY:
Remember, authors and critiquers, we're all friends here. Be polite. Be
considerate. Be tactful. You can say you thought a story was drivel in a
courteous way. Try to point out the good and the bad; offer alternatives
if you can. Never, ever, attack the author -- only the story. Authors:
Remember that some reviewers may lack tact. Try to be understanding,
but if you get any that you feel are just plain mean-spirited, too short
to be of any use, or too "feel good," let me know and I'll withhold the
reviewer's "credit" for that story and/or cajole them into something
more insightful. See http://www.critters.org/diplomacy.ht for more...
CRITIQUE LENGTH:
If you want to send a short critique that you know is too short for
credit (200 words or less of your own meaningful content) please put
"NC#" in the Subject (NC=No Credit, like Subject: NC#1234) -and- say
something like "not for credit" inside your critique. (Remember also that
for MPC purposes, a critique must be 300 words or more.)
CHATTING:
Comments -other- than critiques (such as discussion of the critiques,
or Woohoo! announcements, or chit chat) should be posted to one of the
official Critters newsgroups, found on the news server news.sff.net.
(See the http://www.critters.org/newsgroups.ht web page for full info,
guidelines, etc.) Don't post stories or critiques (mail those to
critters@critique.org).
QUOTING:
Please pare the ms. down if critiquing in-line (don't quote the whole ms.!).
Other format rules are at http://www.critters.org/format.ht .
EVERYTHING'S ON THE WEB:
Past reviews are on the web page. The current week's manuscripts are
also there, as are prior mss. and even some rewrites. There's a Master
Page Index (site map) with tons of links to common items.
AUTHORS:
Authors for this week -- if you aren't getting email'd critiques from
me (as they come in) within a couple days -- ask me and we can verify
I'm sending them to the correct address. (Send me a phone# in case I
can't get email to you.) Check the format of your story ASAP to make sure
it's all there and readable.
EMAIL ISSUES:
If you want to change your email address or preferences (# mss. emailed,
SF/F/H type, or whether you get the huge critique batches at week's end),
point your browser to http://www.critters.org/admin.ht . Please don't
ask me to do this by hand, it's quite a chore! (E.g., if you're going
on vacation and want to suspend mail from me -- do this before/after
your trip.)
BACKUP SITE:
If you're unable to reach www.critters.org to get manuscripts, I've set up
an emergency backup site at http://backup.critters.org where you can get the
week's manuscripts (but not much of anything else :-). Speaking of backups --
don't forget to back up your own manuscripts so you don't lose them!
QUITTING:
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for your choices.
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