IWSG: Writing Pitfalls

It's a new month and a new post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. My regular readers should be familiar with them, but if you're not, check them out on their website, Facebook, and Twittter. Our hosts this month are Erika Beebe, Sandra Hoover, Susan Gourley, and Lee Lowery.

For this month, we've been posed the following question: What pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid on their publication journey?

I think the most important pitfalls to be wary of are scams. There are all kinds of scams directed at writers, from agents who recommend "book doctors" to people who overcharge for publishing services. One of the best sources to learn about such scams is the Writer Beware blog. I also recommend Kristine Kathryn Rusch's Business Musings blog series. She doesn't just discuss scams, but also practices in traditional publishing that are harmful to authors.

As far as writing craft goes, I think one pitfall to avoid is overwriting or putting your work through countless drafts. As a beginning writer, I did this a lot. If you're part of a crit group or writer workshop and getting feedback from multiple people, it's tempting to revise your story to try to please all your readers. Unfortunately, that's impossible. I definitely did learn a lot from participating in workshops such as the Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror and getting feedback on Lyon's Legacy and Twinned Universes. However, some feedback I received on them didn't fit the vision I had for those stories. Eventually, it's possible to get sick of a particular work. You'll learn more by releasing that story into the world and working on something different.

What writing pitfalls have you encountered in your journey? Feel free to share them in the comments.

SF Women A-Z: Patty Jansen and Ripley Patton

Up to this point, I've used women's last names to sort them for this blogathon. However, when I thought of Patty Jansen, my instinct was to put her here with the Ps instead of with the Js. I already have a fair amount of Js and not so many Ps, so I can give her a little more space under this letter than I could for the Js.

I first learned of Patty Jansen through OWW (The Online Writing Workshop for Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror). We exchanged crits several times, though we never developed an outside friendship the way I have with some of my other crit partners. She's an Australian, has a background in agricultural science, and has had her short stories published in Analog. Her biography on Smashwords does mention publishers were unwilling to publish her hard SF because of her gender. Currently she's self-publishing, which is one way to get around that barrier. Learn more about her at her website and find her books (many of which are free) on Amazon.

Ripley Patton is another indie author I know through Broad Universe and through an interview she did for the Blog Ring of Power. She's been published in Alien Skin, founded SpecFicNZ, and won the Sir Julius Vogel award for her short fiction. I've read and enjoyed her YA PSS series, which is about teens who have "ghost" body parts (the actual explanation is more scientific) that give them different abilities. She and her son recently started a list to promote discounted YA eBooks and are giving away a $20 Amazon giftcard to promote it. You can go here to enter. Learn more about Patton on her website and find her work on Amazon.

Feel free to list more women SF/F authors for this letter in the comments below.

Sir Julius Vogel

SF Women A-Z: Kowal, Kress, and Kushner

"K" SF women kick butt!

I'm most familiar with Mary Robinette Kowal's Glamourist Histories novels (set in an alternate Regency where magic works), but she has also written novellas and short stories. (The covers for her print books are much more attractive than what I have here!) She's won two Hugos and the John W. Campbell Award. She was vice-president of SFWA in 2010, but I don't think she still holds that position. Learn more about her and her work on her website, Wikipedia, and Amazon.


Nancy Kress is best known for her work Beggars in Spain. (I've read the entire trilogy.) She writes everything from short stories to novels and won a Nebula for Best Novella in 2012. Her work focuses on genetic engineering and artificial intelligence. You can learn more about this accomplished author on her website and Wikipedia and read her books on Amazon.

Ellen Kushner was a Guest of Honor (along with her wife, Delia Sherman) at the second WisCon I attended. She writes mannerpunk such as Swordspoint and its two sequels. She's also run programs for the Online Writing Workshop for Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror, though I don't remember taking any classes from her during my time in OWW. Learn more about her on her website and Wikipedia and read her books on Amazon.

Feel free to add more "K" SF women authors to this list in the comments below.

Book Review: Shadow Over Avalon

I don't normally write book reviews, but I'm writing this one at the request of my crit partner from OWW and current beta reader, C.N. Lesley. (I'm using her pseudonym.) One of the books I critiqued for her on OWW is Shadow Over Avalon. Here's the book description from Amazon:

Fortune twists in the strongest hands. This is no repeat; this is what happens next.
A man, once a legend who bound his soul to his sword as he lay dying, is now all but a boy nearing the end of his acolyte training. Stifled by life in the undersea city of Avalon, Arthur wants to fight side by side with the air-breathing Terrans, not spend his life as servant to the incorporeal sentient known as the Archive. Despite the restrictions put on him by Sanctuary, he is determined to help the surface-dwellers defeat predators whose sole purpose is to ensure their own survival, no matter the cost.
Ashira, War Maid and princess of the surface-world, is ready to sacrifice her life to defend her kin, but when she is betrayed and cast out of the life chosen for her, she must choose whether to die with honor or become one of the creatures her kinsmen fear and loathe.
Following two threads of time, C.N. Lesley’s new incarnation of the Arthurian tales of old delivers the perfect blend of science fiction and fantasy. 

 At the beginning of this story, Arthur is a youth with great psionic abilities who is being pressured to sire a child whom he fears will be exploited. He wants to go to the surface, so he studies the life of Shadow, a Terran warrior whose own mental abilities are on a par with his own. The Archive, the computer that runs Avalon, can provide sensory feedback of Shadow's life that is so complete it's addicting. As Shadow's story advances, Arthur struggles for the freedom to make his own choices in his world, but he doesn't fully understand how his story and Shadow's intertwine until the end. The transitions between Arthur's scenes and Shadow's are well-marked, and there's no confusion between them, even when the same characters appear in both worlds. Each separate world (the underwater city and the surface world) is well-developed. I empathized the most with Shadow, who starts the story as the War Maid Ashira but loses so much over the course of the story she needs a new name. Arthur took longer to grow on me, but he matures over time. This story is an amazing twist on the legend of King Arthur, and I look forward to reading the sequel, Sword of Shadows.

Blog Ring of Power: Elizabeth Hull/C.N. Lesley

Today on the Blog Ring of Power, I'm pleased to present Elizabeth Hull, one of my crit partners from OWW. She writes under the pen name C.N. Lesley, and her latest book is Sword of Shadows. Let's learn a little more about her here. You can find the other parts of her interview on Emily's and Teresa's blogs.



How long have you been writing? 

The first book started off in 1989. Prior to that I was a letter writer with multiple contacts. Obviously this was before Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites took off and made contact easier.

When and why did you begin writing?

I had young kids and I was sitting a friend’s little daughter. They wanted to watch Barney, the dinosaur. Brain death. This was a favorite show for them and I just couldn’t stand it so needed an outlet. I picked up a fantasy book and then it came to me that I had ideas, too.

Tell us about your early works—what was the first thing you ever wrote?

 Oh dear. They say everyone has a first book that should never see the light of day. Mmmm, well that is correct in my case. It is unfixable in every sense. I believe I broke ever rule and then invented some lulus to stick the cherry on the top. It was all typed out on paper and I believe is now in some dark nook in my basement. To say it was cringe worthy is an understatement, but it did teach me what not to do. I then joined the Online Writers Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror where I learned how to write.

When did you first consider yourself a professional writer? 

When I got tasked with starting up a local newspaper. I was editor, reporter, printer, the works. Sadly the paper lost funding after a few years.  I would consider myself a professional author after the publication of my first book in 2013.

What books have most influenced your life? 

Dune by Frank Herbert, Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkein, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham, Stormbringer by Michael Moorcock…I could fill pages with titles and names.

What genre do you write? 

Fantasy, Science Fiction and Science Fantasy.

What is your favorite theme/genre to write about? 

Thinking back to the core of my stories it must be the discovery of true self and the road a person takes to get there.

If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?

I would like to be an archeologist specializing in planetology. We happen to live near the Badlands in Alberta, which are bursting with dinosaur bones.


Blog:
Facebook page:
Goodreads author page:
Twitter:
Amazon:
Smashwords:
Pinterest:
Is your book in print, ebook or both? Both.

Elizabeth Hull, writing under the by line of C.N.Lesley, lives in Alberta with her husband and cats. Her three daughters live close by. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth likes to read and to paint watercolors. She is also a keen gardener (despite the very short summers) and now has a mature shade garden. Once a worker in the communications sector, mostly concentrating on local news and events, she now writes full time, and fusses over her cats. She was senior managing editor of FlashMe Magazine and now is assistant flash fiction editor for Abyss and Apex.

LINKS
http://cnlesley.com/
http://www.abyssapexzine.com/

Farewell, Online Writing Workshop

It's with regret that I let my membership in the Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror expire this week. I joined over ten years ago and wrote nearly a thousand reviews. I've met a lot of good writers, read a lot of interesting stories, and used the workshop to revise many stories, including "A Reptile at the Reunion," Lyon's Legacy, Twinned Universes, and the short stories I've self-published. So why am I giving up the workshop?

Lack of time is the main issue. I've always had to fit critting in with my day job, writing, and daily life, and when Alex came along, of course he took priority over the workshop. But I've been so busy that I haven't had a chance to critique anything on the workshop since last summer or so. Critiquing even a single chapter can be time-intensive when you're a nit-picker. (I will go through and point out every typo and misplaced comma.) But even if I manage to override my anal-compulsive proof-reading, I still have to read the chapter or short story, go through and make line comments, and sum up strengths and weaknesses.

Another factor is the nature of the workshop itself. You can't post an entire novel at once; you're limited to 7,500 words for each submission. You're also only able to put up three chapters at a time. It can take months to post a novel. Even if you form partnerships with other members who will read your entire work, this slow pacing makes it difficult to review the novel as a whole. I do think I've learned a lot by intensive line critting, but I feel I need to focus now on overall plotting.

What do I plan to do going forward? I'll e-mail some of my contacts and see if they want to continue exchanging stories outside of the group. I think I can still manage to perform crits if I can upload a manuscript to my Kindle and read it there. I can take notes as I read and then type them up for the author. I will also see if I can use Facebook to find more crit partners. Feedback is always important no matter where you are in your writing career.

How do you find crit partners? Do you prefer to crit a chapter at a time or an entire book, and why?

Blog Ring of Power--Susan Curnow

Welcome to the first BRoP interview of 2013! It's especially exciting for me since we're featuring one of my long-time crit partners from the Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror (better known as OWW), Susan Curnow. Her book Games of Adversaries was published late last year. Let's get to know her a little better.

How long have you been writing?
Since I was a wee thing.

When and why did you begin writing?
I guess I just had to. Not a conscious decision at the time—I just did.

Tell us about your early works—what was the first thing you ever wrote?
A story, which won an award at school about how we picked up our Labrador pup from a dogs home. After that it was torrid romances which were always set around animals.

When did you first consider yourself a professional writer? 
I guess when my first shorty story was published but truly the day my novel came out with Artema Press.

What books have most influenced your life? 
Early on it was Enid Blyton, who I devoured as a child, then the Silver brumby stories by Elyne Mitchell. I then progressed to Michael Moorcock whose Elric of Melnibone had a huge impact. One of my biggest influences was CJ Cherryh’s Cyteen, because she made me hate a character in the novel so vividly that I thought, I want to write like that. Following that were lovely lyrical writers like Janny Wurts and then Kate Elliott and C.S Friedman.

What genre do you write?
 (Soft) Science Fiction and Fantasy.

What is your favorite theme/genre to write about? 
Just, to take a what-if and expand upon it. Theme-wise, very often, the arrogance of humanity.

If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?  
The rehabilitation of horses after other people have ruined them.

Games of Adversaries

Yiahan rial Krais dances for his god, while in another time and another world, Commander Marcus Oregada strives to save his folk.

Bereft of families, wives and children, no loved ones live to warn them: Beware the door slammed shut to escape inhuman violence, where memories amass like cobwebs, spun by he who spilled your blood.

For there will be a day of reckoning to sweep away reason and sanity.

To break you and divide you, never knowing it will bind you, as it twists and rends your lives to face the destroyer of souls.

Susan's Social Networks:
Blog:
Facebook page:
Goodreads author page:
Amazon:
Other:

Is your book in print, ebook or both? Both


Susan's interview continues this week at these sites:

Tuesday--The Writing Life--Dean
Wednesday--The Creative Process--Terri
Thursday--About Your Current Work--Theresa
Friday--Words of Wisdom--Emily

What's the Point of (First Person) Point of View?

There will be no new Blog Ring of Power interviews this year; however, starting next week, we're going to highlight some of the interviews we conducted this year. Each highlight will include a giveaway, so be sure to take some time during the holidays to check back here and on the other BRoP blogs.

Do you ever feel that you write one point of view better than anything else? I wouldn't say I excel at first person point of view, but I've had some success with stories told using that POV, including "A Reptile at the Reunion" and Lyon's Legacy. One of the reasons why I think it worked in those two stories was that my heroines had distinctive voices. However, not all of my first-person stories have worked so well. A long time ago, I wrote a story about the history of Romeo and Juliet's families, told from Cupid's point of view as he sought to end a curse. I got a nice rejection letter on it, but even after I revised it again, reviewers told me the POV felt too distant. I thought at first, "Well, he's a god; he's going to sound distant." Still, I knew the story wasn't ready to put out there yet, so I set it aside. Only within the last week did it occur to me to wonder why a god would narrate a story like this in the first place. I decided he would be sharing this story with another god. At first, I thought Cupid would be justifying his actions to Jupiter, but instead I decided the curse on the two families was so important Cupid had to remain separate from his wife, Psyche, until he fought it. I haven't worked out all the details of the new plot yet, but I've decided to tell the story as a series of letters to Psyche. I just started the latest draft, so we'll see how this turns out and what my OWW reviewers think of this version.

Do you feel first person POV needs more justification than third person POV? What are the reasons you would choose it over third person? So far, I would use it if the narrator has a unique voice or has a reason to be telling the story, either directly to the reader, via letters or a diary, or to another character. Can you think of any other reasons for using first person?

Blog Ring of Power Interview: Zvi Zaks

Last week, the Blog Ring of Power hosted one of my crit partners from the Online Writing Workshop for SF, Fantasy, and Horror. Today, I'm lucky enough to host another one of my longtime OWW crit partners, Zvi Zaks. His books include A Virtual Affair, IMPLAC, and A True Son of Asmodeus. Please give him a hearty welcome as we get to know him a bit better:


When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing in my twenties, (many decades ago.)  It's hard to say why, but it was fun and a good way to express myself.

When did you first consider yourself a professional writer?

Never.  I'm an amateur.  If I make money - great - but I write to share ideas with others.

What genre do you write?

Almost always science fiction, preferably 'hard' science fiction, though one of my books is a vampire story, which would put it in the fantasy category.

What is your favorite theme/genre to write about?

Most of my stories have a Jewish theme, though the main character is never a devout, orthodox Jew.  There's a lack of Jewish science fiction, which is regrettable, especially as one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time, Isaac Asimov, was Jewish.

If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?

I'm happy with my day job as a physician, but if I had to choose a career other than writing or medicine, I'd probably try my hand as a professional violinist.  I already have a small band (see www.klezmaniacs.com) and it's a lot of fun.

For the rest of Zvi's interview, please see the schedule below:

Tuesday: Part Two, Dean

Wednesday: Part Three, Terri

Thursday: Part Four, Theresa

Friday: Part Five, Emily

Blog: http://www.fiddlerzvi.comFacebook page: http://www.facebook.com/fiddlerzvi

Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4801758-zvi-zaks

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Zvi-Zaks/e/B004VY7I1A/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_3

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/fiddlerzvi
Is your book in print, ebook or both?  Both

Blog Ring of Power Interview: Heidi Garrett

As a long-time member of the Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror (more commonly known as OWW), I've developed relationships with several steady crit partners. I'm privileged and excited today to bring to you the first part of an interview with one of my OWW crit partners, Heidi Garrett. She recently published her first novel, Nandana's Mark, which she workshopped on OWW. (
Edited to add: Heidi is giving away a copy of her book! Go to the end of the post for the link.) Let's learn more about Heidi and her work:

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing since I was about 13 years old.

When and why did you begin writing?

The first thing I wrote was poetry. I kept a lot of emotions bottled up inside of me. Writing was a natural, private, and comfortable form of self-expression. I was always drawn to free verse, and that’s how I wrote. Perfect rhyme has never appealed to me as a writer.

      Although I’d been telling stories all my life, I didn’t begin writing them until after I graduated from college with a business degree.

      Before completing my first novel, I also experimented with journaling, songwriting, and blogging. I do feel like writing in all these different styles has helped me to continue to grow as a writer. However, writing a novel requires specific craft. Learning that craft has been both challenging and rewarding. 

When did you first consider yourself a professional writer?

Recently. When I published my first book.

What books have most influenced your life?

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA had a tremendous impact on my young mind. The final book in the series, THE LAST BATTLE, had me thinking for years: What might the afterlife really be like? I found the idea that it might be what you believe it will be intriguing.

      This influence is clear in my debut novel NANDANA’S MARK. The metaphysics of the Realm of Faerie and the Mortal World are driven by mortal birth and death. The afterlife--and what happens when mortals die--is a key element in the world of NANDANA’S MARK and THE QUEEN OF THE REALM OF FAERIE series. Umbra, the antagonist, has formed in the Void from ‘psychic ash’ released upon mortal death. 

What genre do you write?

Fantasy.

Here's Heidi's interview schedule for the rest of the week:

Tuesday: Part Two, Dean

Wednesday: Part Three, Terri

Thursday: Part Four, Theresa

Friday: Part Five, Emily

Melia has always wanted to fly, away.

From her two sisters, who’ve found their place in the Enchanted World, despite being half-faeries with no wings.

From her mother, the full blooded faerie who practices black magic, and weeps every night when she thinks her daughters aren’t listening.

But mostly from her father, the mortal druid who broke his faerie troth, and lives to reunite with Melia’s mother. He believes incarnating Umbra—the one entity everyone in the Enchanted World fears—will give him the power to return to the Realm of Faerie.

But Melia comprehends the horror of Umbra far better than her father ever will.

Umbra seduces.
Umbra corrupts.
And Umbra destroys.

When her best friend—a pixie named Tatou—urges Melia to turn to the mysterious Illustrator for help, she gives Melia the courage to challenge her father.

As secrets are revealed and a family’s dark legacy spins out of control, Melia’s wish to fly comes true.

It’s just not quite what she expected.

Blog: www.heidigwrites.blogspot.com

Facebook page: Coming Soon

Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/Heidi_g

Twitter: www.twitter.com/heidgwrites

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nandanas-Queen-Realm-Faerie-ebook/dp/B008WVVIEQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1345786365&sr=1-1&keywords=nandana%27s+mark

Barnes and Nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nandanas-mark-heidi-garrett/1112474235?ean=2940014866026

Apple: Search the iTunes store

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Nandanas-Mark/book-gvAcD6Y6V0a2OuRv7WAgzQ/page1.html?s=3C4-xbj280SyZzDPwwQ0Ig&r=1

Is your book in print, ebook or both?

Ebook.

 

Do you love faeries and pixies?

Do you love faerie tales, fantasy and magic?

Then enter to win a copy of the new adult novel NANDANA'S MARK, book one in the Queen of the Realm of Faerie series and the debut novel by author HEIDI GARRETT.

What do you have to do?

Just fill out the rafflecopter form below for your chance to win. The giveaway is open Oct. 8 through Oct. 12, and the winner will be announced on Monday, Oct. 15, via the participating blogs, Facebook and Twitter.

About the Book

Melia has always wanted to fly away.

From her two sisters, who’ve found their place in the Enchanted World, despite being half-faeries with no wings.

From her mother, the full blooded faerie who practices black magic, and weeps every night when she thinks her daughters aren’t listening.

But mostly from her father, the mortal druid who broke his faerie troth, and lives to reunite with Melia’s mother. He believes incarnating Umbra—the one entity everyone in the Enchanted World fears—will give him the power to return to the Realm of Faerie.

But Melia comprehends the horror of Umbra far better than her father ever will.

Umbra seduces.

Umbra corrupts.

And Umbra destroys.

When her best friend—a pixie named Tatou—urges Melia to turn to the mysterious Illustrator for help, she gives Melia the courage to challenge her father.

As secrets are revealed and a family’s dark legacy spins out of control, Melia’s wish to fly comes true.

It’s just not quite what she expected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Works in Progress Update

Here's a quick rundown of what I've been working on recently:

Twinned Universes--I'm still working on a major rewrite based on a developmental edit. There are several major players with conflicting goals at the climax of the story, along with a new character who needs to be integrated into the story. Lots of "If A does this, then B would react like that..." going on.

"Spring Rains"--a standalone fantasy short story. I finished getting feedback from crit partners on OWW; now I need some time to revise and figure out the cover.

"Totill and the Thresher" and a story with no working title yet--Both of these are intended to be novellas for an anthology about older women in speculative fiction. They're set in worlds I'm already familiar with but deal with minor characters from those worlds. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'll finish either story before the submission deadline, especially with my other projects, since even pre-plotting isn't helping me much with these stories. Maybe they're better off as short stories instead of novellas. However, I can always publish them on my own.

What are you working on, either writing-related or not? How's it coming? Do you ever feel you have so many projects you can't make progress on a single one?

What Books Are You Looking Forward To?

With the new month, I have a bit of a dilemma: two books I pre-ordered are supposed to be out today, and I have to decide which one to read first. (After I finish my current Kindle book, Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other, first.) Timeless and The Kingdoms of Dust (written by a fellow OWW member!) are both parts of well-written series. I'll probably read Timeless first, as the Parasol Protectorate books are fast-paced and funny.

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe has been out for a while, but it's the book of the month for one of the groups I belong to on Goodreads, so now I have a reason to bump it up to the top (or near the top) of the list.

Finally, The Master of Heathcrest Hall comes out near the end of the month. Good thing I read quickly, or else I'd fall behind.

Do you pre-order books? If so, which ones? Are you stalking any authors for new releases?

Writing and Life Experience: Follow Up

Last week was very busy, so I didn't get to follow up on this post as quickly as I planned. (Today is going to be even worse, as I have to stay so late at work a co-worker will have to bring Alex here. I'm not even sure I'll get home before his bedtime; my husband will have to pick him up.) That actually worked out for the best, since another writer commented on this post when it uploaded to my Facebook feed. Both Elizabeth and Ann said that life experience helps make your fiction seem real. Barbara reminded us how imagination and listening to others can help us write about others who don't share our life experiences. Patty Jansen, a fellow OWW writer, pointed out that you don't need just life experiences, but also perspective on them so you can "distill them into a character." (Patty, I hope you don't mind me quoting you here.)

If I had to summarize what I think about life experiences affecting your writing, I'd say everyday life provides you with the details to make your fiction seem real, while extraordinary events are the ones that challenge you and make you grow, just as they do for your own characters.

I'd love to say more, but it's back to the lab mines for me.

Back on the Blog Chain: Writing Resolutions

Welcome back to the Blog Chain! This round, BJ picked the topic:

What are your writing resolutions for the year 2010?

Amanda posted before me, and Eric comes next in the chain.

Last year, I resolved to finish revising Across Two Universes. Unfortunately, I couldn't sustain the pace I set for myself (I got bogged down at some points). However, as I mentioned a couple of days ago, I am much farther along. My new goal is to finish this draft by my birthday (April 28). That will give me some time to take a break from it before the final review/polish. And by then I really, really want to start sending it out.

I'm not sure what else I'll work on besides ATU. I do have a sequel planned, but it might be nice to take a break from Paul and return to my NaNoWriMo project. (I have to do something better with that singing owl!) I might even work on some of my short story ideas.

Along with actual writing, I have several other goals in mind:

1. I will attend WisCon Memorial Day weekend. I go every year (except when I'm nine months pregnant), and I'm already booked for the con and the hotel room. I'm not sure yet if I'll be on any panels this year or if I'll just attend them.

2. I will read the writing books on my to-read list: Flogging the Quill and The 10% Solution.

3. I will blog more frequently than I have been lately--at least 10 times a month. I'm thinking of blogging about some of the science news stories I read and discussing the implications for science fiction. I will also search for more blogs to follow and leave comments.

4. I will critique at least two chapters or short stories on the Online Writing Workshop (edited to add: per month). I haven't had much time for it lately, but while my writing brain cells fade by the end of the day, the reviewing cells might still have a chance to function.

That's enough for now. Will I actually stick to my goals? Well, I do have my mind set on them:



But we'll see next year how well I did.

Back on the Blog Chain: Critique Groups

When we last looked in on the Blog Chain, we were writing short stories about hearts. For this round, Mary has asked us about critique groups:

Are you in a critique group? If so, at what point do you send chapters to the members of your group? How detailed are the critiques you receive and give? Do all members in you group write the same genre?

Michelle was the last person to post before me.

As several other people have done, I'm going to break up this topic into the individual questions as I respond.

Are you in a critique group?--Yes, I'm a member of the Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. I joined back in 2003.

At what point do you send chapters to the members of your group?--The OWW works a little differently from other critique groups in that you post chapters on a website (it's password-protected; the author retains all rights.) and then other members are free to read and comment on your chapters. In theory, any other member of the workshop can critique anyone else's work, but what often happens is that over time you develop critting partnerships with several other people. In my most active period, I was following at least six or seven people at once. You can have up to three chapters posted at any time. I post mine when I feel I've done as much on them as I can. I write pretty cleanly to begin with, but I will go back and try to add description (my description tends to be sparse on the first pass), clear up any inconsistencies or awkward phrases, and fix any other potential problems I spot. My philosophy is that it would be wasting other's time to have them point out problems I'm already aware of. I want my critters to push me and my writing to a higher level than I can achieve on my own, so my writing has to be the best it can be from the start.

Other people who've already posted on this topic have said sometimes they give their crit partners "raw" writing to get some quick feedback about how well something works. I've seen other people on OWW do that too, though I tend to find that distracting to crit as I still want to make line comments. While I do see the value of brainstorming with crit partners, I don't do much of that myself, at least before they comment. Sometimes if I have a question about one of their comments, I will follow up with them for clarification or to ask if they think a particular idea will work better. Also, if I have a concern with a particular aspect of the chapter, I will ask for feedback on that when I post the chapter.

How detailed are the critiques you receive and give?--I can be a very nitpicky crit partner. I have done copy editing before, so I still do it as part of my regular critting. I feel I ought to point out as much as I can in a crit, since I don't know how much revising the author will do before submitting the work. Sometimes it can take me a couple of hours to copy edit a single chapter. Although I focus on "line edits," I always try to step back and look for larger issues as well. If the author has questions, I answer them. I always offer praise on some aspect of the work (it helps the medicine go down) and phrase my comments constructively.

The critiques I receive vary in level of detail -- and in how useful they are. Some people do line edits; others offer overall comments. No matter how I feel about what the person said, I e-mail them thank-yous if they've given me an e-mail address.

Do all members in you group write the same genre? -- By definition, the OWW is limited to science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories. Some of my regular reviewers prefer fantasy; others, science fiction; and other people, like me, write both. (I'm not a horror fan--I get enough horror from the news--so I avoid it.) Only recently, as I've started to follow other blogs such as Miss Snark's First Victim, have I branched out and critted other genres. I have to admit it's easier to review genres I'm familiar with.

That covers all of the questions Mary had for us. If anyone would like to learn more about the OWW, please post questions in the comments. Otherwise, please visit Kat Harris's blog (she posts after me) or our newest member, Annie Louden!