Hey Folks,
Well, I’m gonna end the month with a fizzle. No writing again today. Still a little under the weather this morning. I have to get through this bug, whatever it is.
***
In other news, I got an interesting email from a writer who said he’d sent for a first-page critique. I assume he sent it to the folks at Kill Zone blog. He wrote “judging from the list, I may hear from them in about two years.”
If you’re interested, read the brief instructions for submitting your first page at https://killzoneblog.com/first-page-critiques-at-tkz.
But if you have to wait a year or two (or even a few months) for your critique, what good is it really?
I mean, if it takes you two or three (or more) years to write a novel, then maybe it makes sense to wait that long for a critique.
But if you’re writing continually, ummm No.
And that gave me an idea. I decided to offer first-page critiques too, and in real time, meaning a turnaround of a few days.
Those who take me up on this offer will basically be getting a personalized, one-on-one master’s course in writing openings — which is to say, in hooking and grounding the reader — and with your own work as the example.
The most common comment I get on my own work is that the reader feels as if he or she is right there in the story. That’s because I know how to pull them in and keep them in.
So now I’m offering a first-page critique — well, really it’s an “opening” critique of up to 500 words — for $25. Yeah, there’s a nominal fee. On the other hand, you won’t have to wait a year or longer for a reply.
In the first-page critique, I’ll point out what works and what doesn’t, and why. I’ll imbed comments directly on the manuscript (off to the side) so you can connect my recommendations with the actual text.
This should be a really good learning experience. As I said, a master class.
If you’re interested, send the first 500 words of your manuscript as an email attachment to me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com. In the subject line, please put First Page Critique.
I prefer payment by PayPal, but you can also send a check.
See you tomorrow.
Of Interest
See Sue Coletta’s “Eavesdropping on Quora” at https://killzoneblog.com/2018/04/eavesdropping-on-quora.html.
Yesterday I recommended CrimeReads.com. To see (study) some incredibly great opening lines, see the Daily Thrill at http://crimereads.com/category/daily-thrill/.
See “The May Project and the Muse is Running in Circles” at https://lindamayeadams.com/2018/04/29/the-may-project-and-the-muse-is-running-in-circles/.
Via The Digital Reader, see “How to Avoid Burnout as a Writer” at https://deannacabinian.com/2018/03/24/how-to-avoid-burnout-as-a-writer-and-as-a-person/.
See “Three More Stories Today” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/three-more-stories-today/.
Fiction Words: XXXX
Nonfiction Words: 460 (Journal)
So total words for the day: 460
Writing of The Storytellers
Brought forward………………………………………………………………… 1304
Day 2…… 2966 words. Total words to date…… 4270
Day 3…… 4475 words. Total words to date…… 8745
Day 4…… 1718 words. Total words to date…… 10463
Day 5…… 3825 words. Total words to date…… 14228
Day 6…… 3328 words. Total words to date…… 17556
Day 7…… 3899 words. Total words to date…… 21455
Day 8…… 1227 words. Total words to date…… 22682
Day 9…… 1135 words. Total words to date…… 23817
Day 10… 1108 words. Total words to date…… 24925
Day 11… XXXX words. Total words to date…… XXXXX
Total fiction words for the month……… 47745
Total fiction words for the year………… 161286
Total nonfiction words for the month… 15710
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 49470
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 252536
Calendar Year 2018 Novels to Date………………………… 3
Calenday Year 2018 Novellas to Date…………………… 1
Calendar Year 2018 Short Stories to Date……… 0
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)………………………………………… 30
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)……………………………………… 5
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……………………………… 182