“The way you define yourself as a writer is that you write every time you have a free minute. If you didn’t behave that way you would never do anything.” - John Irving

Quantity rarely produces quality in life. However, writers have to write a lot to produce quality. Your writing will be doomed if you only write a few things. You can’t craft the perfect story, poem, or book one word at a time. You have to write a rough draft of the whole thing, and then rewrite it, and then rewrite it again.

Michelangelo turned a rough stone into master piece by chiseling the rough parts off. Find your stone by writing a rough draft, and then keep rewriting it until you have transformed it into your masterpiece.

Jacob

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” - Anton Chekhov

Showing sets a virtual movie camera onto the scene. You as the writer then record in words exactly what it sees. Best of all, this “camera” can record not only sight but all five senses.

Writing “the house was creepy” is telly. It doesn’t reflect anything the mental camera recorded—it’s an interpretation all by itself.

Use physical details that express how creepy the house is. The shingles are askew and the windows smashed, with pointed shards still clinging to some panes. Cobwebs drape across the porch. Add sounds and smells that send a chill up the reader’s back.

Telling is fine for armatures, but when you need to capture your readers attention use similes, metaphors, and vivid imagery to paint a picture.

Jacob

I have recently received several emails asking about the 12 hour time limit. I have apparently caused some confusion about how long you have to perform each peer critique.

When you submit your work for critique you are assigned to perform a number of reviews. Once you click “start reviewing” you have 12 hours to complete that assigned review. If you do not complete that review within 12 hours the assignment will expire and you will be given something new to critique the next time you click start reviewing.

We do not care if you let an assigned review expire. We know you are busy and sometimes can’t stomach reviewing a piece written in all CAPS. You will not be penalized for letting an assignment expire. You can do one review an hour, day, week, month, or year. Set your own pace and enjoy the peer critique process.

Jacob

You can get a free premium access to the Review Fuse writing group by participating in the Annual Review Fuse Review. If you already have a premium membership you can extend it by participating.

Prior to entering you must have submitted at least two works for critique and completed all of your assigned reviews.

What you do

Write a critique of Review Fuse on your blog. The critique should include

• What you like about Review Fuse.
• What you think Review Fuse needs to improve.
• A link to Review Fuse http://www.reviewfuse.com/

When you are done submit the link to your Review Fuse Review via our contact us page or attach it as a comment to this posting.

What we do

We will rate each critique of Review Fuse the same way you rate the critiques you receive. We will rate your critique of Review Fuse based on how helpful, constructive, detailed, insightful and easy to understand your critique is on a 1-5 scale.

What you get

You will award free premium access based on the critique rating we give you.

• Rating of 1-2 – 1 week of free premium access
• Rating of 2-3 – 2 weeks of free premium access
• Rating of 3-4 – 4 weeks of free premium access
• Rating of 4-5 – 6 weeks of free premium access
• Perfect 5 – 8 weeks of free premium access

We will email you after we have read your review to let you know what you have won.

This offer expires on November 1, 2009.

Substitute “damn” every time you’re inclined to write “very;” your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. - Mark Twain

I used to think that words like “really” and “very” made my writing forceful. I realized how wrong I was when my boss started using the word “deeply” to describe everything. Everything was so “deeply” important or “deeply” urgent that “deeply” lost its meaning. Telling doesn’t improve your writing. It only gets in the way.

Learn more about how to show-not-tell by visiting our online writing lessons.

Jacob

Writing should be concise. Writing should generate meaning with the fewest words possible.

In school I was often given a minimum number of words for an assignment. I added fluff to hit the minimum and ruined my writing.

It’s difficult yet effective to be concise. Do you have it in you?

Jacob

Why do writers seek out other writers to critique their work? I suppose there are as many reasons as there are writers, but I believe the desire to be read ranks pretty close to the top. Without peer review, what eventually makes it to the printed page is little more than a silent scream. Writers must be read. It’s simple, it’s elemental, it’s required. I once read somewhere that a physician who diagnoses himself has a fool for a patient. I suspect the same thing applies to writers who critique their own work. We need someone on the outside looking in if we’re to grow.

As a writer I participate in both live session and online critiques. Before you accuse me of being a masochist, know this: the more I critique, the more skilled and diversified I become as a writer. The more I am critiqued, the more tolerant and appreciative I become of both the limitations and gifts of other writers I’m exposed to. Critique is a necessary and important part of any writer’s life who is serious about craft. Period.

There are significant differences in live versus online critique; the most obvious being it’s highly unlikely you’ll ever get beat-up in the parking lot for hitting “post my review” on a keyboard. It can be tempting to take cheap shots online, because, after all, it’s completely anonymous. I would caution you about that. The only person you’re hurting is yourself.

When you open your mind to constructive criticism, even though it stings a little sometimes, you learn things. Before you know it, you’re navigating your way through nests of dangling participles and clipping comma splices with the best. You don’t have to like another writer’s style or story content to critique it effectively if you strive to be objective. I guarantee you will learn something. In order to be a good critiquer, you must also be a good critiquee. (I’m not sure those are actually real words, but you get the point

Don’t become one of those people who delights in finding every little flaw and jumping on it like they’ve found a fly in their soup. Other people are going to critique the same piece. Leave a little meat on the bone for them. Look for the good and break bad news gently. “Suggest” changes rather than arbitrarily rewriting a person’s piece in your own image. No one likes a show-off or a line editor tampering with their “baby.” If there are strong and compelling reasons for suggested changes based on technique, grammar and mechanics, people will listen and they will thank you for it.

You’ll know you’re getting the hang of it when you realize you are learning at least as much critiquing the work of others as you are from being critiqued in return. Suddenly, slogging through those bothersome critiques isn’t such an onerous task. You’re discovering things in other people’s work you can apply to your own. Understanding dawns. Congratulations, and welcome to the difficult and rewarding world of serious writing effort.

Now for the bad news and the Achilles heel of online critique. There is no known defense against the drive-by critique. You know the type. Looking to have their own egos assuaged at the expense of others, they do the minimum. Spewing mindless platitudes, they pepper the “comment required” boxes like a Mac-10 with their vague and unsubstantiated garbage. Take comfort in the sure and certain knowledge that they won’t be around long. Good writing is hard work, and ultimately, they’ll want no part of it.
Writing is art and critique is the canvas. Some of us strive to paint masterpieces, others are happy with stick figures. All took the time to write something. Surely that deserves respect.

By Vance H. White
(darkeyes)

Vance H. White is a published short story author and award winning essayist residing on Northwest Florida’s Emerald coast. Vance divides his time equally between writing, pestering New York agents to publish his latest effort, and co-chairing a critique group of talented local authors.

Receiving critiques of your work is difficult as an author.  First you have to get past the idea that your writing has problems, because almost all writing does.  Or perhaps you have the opposite problem, and will need to get used to the idea that your writing has good points.  That sounds like it’d be a lot easier to do, but sometimes it can be quite challenging.

In any case, learning to take critiques well is something you’ll need to do quite soon as a budding author.  Even if you never plan on publishing, and are content to write fanfiction (or whatever) for the love of the craft, critics are a dime a dozen.  And as the old Dr Demento song goes, I’m looking for the guy who’s applying the dime.

When you first get the critique, it can be tempting just to ignore the whole thing.  Obviously the critic has no idea of the work you put into the story they just tore to shreds, the tears of blood you shed as you penned out your masterpiece of the heart!  What do they know?  They’re just some [loser on the internet / talentless hack critic / guy on the street / creative writing teacher]!  They wouldn’t know the work of an author if it hit them in the face, right?

Well, not quite.  As author, it’s part of your job to respond to criticism in a way that improves your work.  Otherwise, what’s the point?  More so, when still unpublished, you should look at critiques as a way of gauging audience reaction, and as a trial-by-fire for that scary day when you’ll send your manuscript off to an agent.  A few painful suggestions now is worth a “We would like to publish your novel,” isn’t it?

This can be hard, especially when the critic isn’t particularly tactful.  But in all except the worst of critiques, you can find something to take home with you.  It may not be something you enjoy learning, but it will be something.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you should just blindly accept whatever anybody says about your story, either.  That way lies madness and endless revisions, a never-ending cycle of bitterness and “improvement” that usually leaves a manuscript even more mangled than when it started life.

You have to pick and choose what’s useful and what’s not.  Remember that you as the author of your story are the only person who’s… well, the author of your story.  What everybody else is telling you is just a suggestion.  Don’t blindly change everything people bring up, or you’ll lose that control.

So how do you walk the line between these two extremes?  With extreme caution, that’s how.

Or there’s always the strength by numbers method:  If one person says they don’t like something, and you liked it, by all means leave it.  If five or six people say the same thing, though, it might be time to break out that red pen and mark a line through it.  It will hurt to do, but if it’s not working for that many people, it likely won’t work for many others, either.

Stewart B.
thestripedone

“You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance.” - Ray Bradbury

Would you rather receive a critique that pointed out every weakness in your writing or one that praised the “genius” of your work? Your writing will occasionally be torn to shreds by an ornery old lion. When you learn to thrive on criticism you will be able to take those shreds and develop a much stronger piece. Most reviewers are genuinely trying to help even when they sound like an ornery old ignoramus.

Jacob

The contract will probably say something like “I will do my best to sell your book in return for receive 15% of the deal.” Contracts are generally about two pages long and don’t need to be reviewed by an attorney, although my attorney would argue vehemently that all contracts should be reviewed by legal council before being signed. If you choose to review it yourself watch for these worrisome points.

• If the agent wants to be your exclusive representative for more than one year be leery as to why.
• If the agent wants to charge you for the cost of office overhead if the book isn’t sold then flee. I always feel better if I yell SCAM while fleeing.

After you sign a contract listen closely to your agents advice. If they think your proposal needs to be changed then change it. Your agent has a lot more experience selling books to publishers than you do so pay attention when they speak.

When your agent lands a publisher he should be able to negotiate an advance for your book. Advances range from a couple hundred dollars to several thousand. Cash the check and finish writing your book.

Jacob