Critique Group Setup and Rules

Friday will be critique day for this blog, at least for as many Fridays as I can manage. We’ll see how it goes.

There are two ways you can participate:

1. If you subscribe to or follow this blog, you may send in a writing sample to be critiqued by me as well as other readers. You need to be ready to receive input, both positive and negative, so bring your thick skin. Submissions must be fiction and 1000 words or fewer. No porn, obscene language, or gore allowed. Some blood is okay, but no splattered brains, disembowelment, and the like. If you include “mild” swearing and it seems appropriate for the story, I will consider allowing it. It is best to send the beginning of your story. Email submissions to blogcritique@daviscrossing.com. I cannot guarantee that I will post your submission for critique.

2. In order to be critiqued, you need to participate in critiquing others. If you have posted a critique comment on at least one existing post, you are eligible to have your own work critiqued.

3. Help me critique the submitted piece by posting a comment. It is best to give a positive comment before saying something negative. If you think something should be changed, then try to give a suggested alternative.

Critique Group Rule 1No personal criticisms are allowed. Always be kind and thoughtful. It is okay to make an attempt at humor, but remember tone is hard to communicate in text, so be careful. You might even post a video of your commentary. Don’t be scared to be creative.

To the person who is being critiqued, you may chime in as well, but it is best not to defend yourself or your work beyond explaining something that is unclear. Just acknowledge the critiques, accept what sounds right, and reject without comment those that are not helpful. Remember that the critiquing people are trying to help, so be grateful for their comments.

Before you submit something to be critiqued, please review this list of common mistakes and do your best to correct any you might find in your work. This will make critiquing easier.

I am no longer accepting stories written in present tense. I realize that present-tense stories are popular, but I cannot critique them. I am confident that other critiquing sites will allow present-tense submissions.

This critique group is not designed for beginning writers, that is, writers who are still learning basic concepts such as punctuation, grammar, and paragraph structure. Such writers are not ready to be critiqued in a public forum. This service is for writers who understand how narrative, dialogue, and interior monologue function. If someone sends in a piece to be critiqued, and the work shows that the writer is not ready for this step, I will not post it.

Please let me know if anything is unclear or if you have suggestions that might make these critique sessions really super.

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Categories: Announcements, Critique Group

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133 replies

  1. Definitely considering this.

  2. Quick question; when you say “Writing Sample”, do you mean only story format, or is poetry and the like allowed too?

  3. Hmm. Perhaps I’ll submit some of my work.

  4. I hope to get some good insight. I’ve tried to amend my writing based on the tips/editing you did on my prologue a while back, and it would be nice to know if I’m applying good changes.

  5. Approximately how long should our entries be? I kind of have a hard time knowing where to cut off the length. 🙂

  6. Do we need to put something specific in the subject line of the email?

  7. Quick question; if you receive numerous pieces of work, would you possibly start to post 2 or more pieces on Fridays?

  8. Can you submit short story’s?

  9. Where do you send/post something to be critiqued?

  10. Definitely planning on sending in a submission sometime soonish. 🙂

    By the way, the link for “this list of common mistakes” doesn’t work.

  11. If one’s story is refused once, can one edit it and try again some time later?

  12. It hasn’t? 😮

  13. Well, I guess I let my imagination and my silly calculating get the best of me…. I had calculated that something was posted about once a week or so, and when something else was posted I guessed that mine had been put aside for unreadiness…

  14. If I entered a submission once and got critiqued on it, and then I edited it, would I be able to re-submit it again?

  15. Can a manuscript sent be a continuation of one already sent? Like a part-one, part-two, so-on kind-of thing?

  16. I understand you want only 1000 words or less sent in, but I was hoping to send in a chapter (1500 words). I hate to cut off 500 of those words and have the section end abruptly. Could you make an exception?

  17. I was hoping to send in some of my work, but I have a couple questions.

    Would it be more convenient for you if I sent the submission in the body of the email or in an attachment? It is also possible for me to convert an attachment to PDF if that would be more helpful.

    Secondly, the piece runs forty-four words over one-thousand. Is this unacceptable?

    Thank you!

  18. if our piece does get rejected for various reasons will you let the person know

  19. can i send it (like on paper) to you? -_- my parents say its too morbid and dark to share I mean I did write it when you know they had a rough patch. I write how I feel that’s how I don’t blow up.

Trackbacks

  1. Critique Group – January 9, 2014 | The Author's Chair
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  5. Critique Group – The Unchosen One and A Secret Revealed | The Author's Chair
  6. Critique Group – Dragonfyre and Reborn | The Author's Chair
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  8. Critique Group – Two Sparrows and They’re After Me | The Author's Chair
  9. Critique Group – Beyond the Demons Control and Dawn | The Author's Chair
  10. Critique Group – Veiled Intentions and True Strength | The Author's Chair
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  12. Critique Group – Child of the Curse and Chiron in the Woods | The Author's Chair
  13. Critique Group – The Crossroads and The Kraken | The Author's Chair
  14. Critique Group – Avoidance List: What to Look for Before You Send | The Author's Chair
  15. Critique Group – Poor Girl, Rich Talent | The Author's Chair
  16. Critique Group – Behind the Smile | The Author's Chair
  17. Critique Group – Mt. Shachar | The Author's Chair
  18. Critique Group – Controlled | The Author's Chair
  19. Critique Group – The Guardians of Dor | The Author's Chair
  20. Critique Group – Rain or Shine | The Author's Chair
  21. Critique Group – A Darkened Light | The Author's Chair
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  36. Critique Group – Time Echoes |
  37. Critique Group – January 9, 2015 |
  38. Critique Group – Glorious Downfall and Blood Cure |
  39. Critique Group – Voyage and The Raindrop Race |
  40. Critique Group – The Reluctant Shaman and The Rule of Olympus |
  41. Critique Group – The Unchosen One and A Secret Revealed |
  42. Critique Group – Dragonfyre and Reborn |
  43. Critique Group – Castle in the Clouds and The Chronicles of Keriddon |
  44. Critique Group – Two Sparrows and They’re After Me |
  45. Critique Group – Beyond the Demons Control and Dawn |
  46. Critique Group – Veiled Intentions and True Strength |
  47. Critique Group – Silvered and Elf Story |
  48. Critique Group – Child of the Curse and Chiron in the Woods |
  49. Critique Group – The Crossroads and The Kraken |
  50. Critique Group – Avoidance List: What to Look for Before You Send |
  51. Critique Group – Poor Girl, Rich Talent |
  52. Critique Group – Behind the Smile |
  53. Critique Group – Mt. Shachar |
  54. Critique Group – Controlled |
  55. Critique Group – The Guardians of Dor |
  56. Critique Group – Rain or Shine |
  57. Critique Group – A Darkened Light |
  58. Critique Group – Spectrum |
  59. Critique Group – Once Upon a Fantasy |
  60. Critique Group – Zënaide |
  61. Critique Group – Broken Cities |
  62. Critique Group – The Comeback |
  63. Critique Group – Sons of Callow |
  64. Critique Group – The Dragon Tamer |
  65. Critique Group – The King’s Spyglass |
  66. Critique Group Friday Submissions Now Open |
  67. Critique Group – Once Upon a Dragon |
  68. Critique Group – Cypress |
  69. Critique Group – A Light in the Dark |
  70. Critique Group – The Ogre Wars |
  71. Critique Group – Windsong |
  72. Critique Group – Imagination Runner |
  73. Critique Group – All the King’s Daughters |
  74. Critique Group – Let the Ghosts Speak |
  75. Critique Group – The Protector |
  76. Critique Group – Gareth |
  77. Critique Group – The Pandonian’s Paradox |
  78. Critique Group – Dream Man |
  79. Critique Group – Anti |

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