Comments on: Critique Connection

By: Bailey Brooks

Bailey Brooks — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 23:49:03 +0000

Hey, Mary, thanks for sharing. I hope your Easter egg basket if full.

I’m interested in a reader swap and write in 3rd POV, which is my comfort zone. With this in mind, I have a 40k ms, upper MG, thriller pursuit set in the late 1940’s.

When two ten-year-olds’ runaway with a stolen souvenir that holds a mystery, two ruthless federal agents pursue them across an unforgiving landscape and use extreme measures to recover the piece of alien technology. Kate and Billy leave a trail of destruction as they flee to reach her grandpa where they take flight, which leads them along a dangerous path of trust, betrayal, and discovery.

Cheers, Bailey Brooks: bbrooks1066(at)gmail(dot)com

By: Bryan

Bryan — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 21:26:35 +0000

Hi, my name is Bryan(auctionvampire at yahoo dot com), and I’m looking for a critique partner. I’ve just completed 110,00 word MG adventure that I would really like to get someone to look at–that’s not related to me. The story is about a 13 year old girl named Abbey and her doll that are whisked away to a world called the Realm. The Realm is the land of ideas, where the inspiration for all of man’s most popular stories originate.
Everything is perfect until Abbey has to return home. In order for her to leave the Realm, she must right a wrong, by going to a place called the boundary (the border that separates the Realm’s heroes from its villains), and face a creation of her own making.

By: Kim

Kim — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 01:20:07 +0000

Hi, I’m Kim (kimdsmall at comcast dot net) and I have a 48,000 word upper middle grade contemporary manuscript that I’d love to get some critique partners for. The book is about a shy, eighth grade boy who finally finds his voice when he becomes his school’s new advice columnist and starts solving people’s problems through words. He’s enjoying his newfound popularity until he gets an anonymous letter from a student threatening to commit suicide if the gay bashing doesn’t stop. Only then does he realize that some problems don’t have easy solutions, but that the power of words can unite people in ways he never imagined.

Several agents have read my full and given me some lovely comments about my writing, voice, and characters saying they think the manuscript has the potential to be great. Some have even offered to look at a rewrite. The problem is they seem to be struggling with some parts of the plot although everyone seems to have a different idea of what they think isn’t quite working, which is making me pretty confused at this point. I would love to get some help with this as I’m very passionate about this project and want to make it as good as it can be.

I’d be happy to read other people’s manuscripts and do what I can to help you all get your work to the next level.

By: Steven

Steven — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:50:00 +0000

And woops didn’t add my email – Steven (dot) short (at) me (dot) com

Thanks again.

By: Steven

Steven — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 10:05:19 +0000

Thank you Mary and hello all,

I’m very interested in looking for a writing partner to critique each others stories, pitch ideas to and generally just motivating each other. I’m currently working on a middle grade fantasy about a boy, his workaholic dad and three billion nanobots.

Keep writing,
Steven

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 23:29:04 +0000

Hi everyone,

My name is Vanessa and I’m working on a gritty YA thriller set during the zombie apocalypse. The novel is told in three pov’s and deals with dark/mature issues similar to The Walking Dead.

For Carly, living amongst the undead is not an easy task, and her abusive stepfather Tom doesn’t make it any easier. When her own mother becomes infected, Carly has no choice but to try and escape. On the night that she plans to leave the community chaos erupts, causing her plans to backfire.The community fences have been broken down by an outside gang leaving everyone inside open to the undead. When it seems things can’t get any worse, her little brother is kidnapped. Forced to team up with an old flame, Carly and Joshua must race to save her little brother’s life.

I would love to team up with another person. I’d be up to critiquing chapter by chapter.

VanessaBooke(at)gmail(dot)com

By: Seth

Seth — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 19:10:41 +0000

Hey everyone,

First of all, mad props to Mary for doing another one of these.

I’ve been working on a YA/UrbanFantasy for quite a while, and I need someone with fresh eyes to pick out the problems with the manuscript. It features a male protagonist, and has mucho supernatural elements, as well as a (kind of) love triangle (think gargoyles meets harry potter).

I’m happy to exchange a full manuscript critique with anyone. Mine is about 85k, so I’m happy to take on a manuscript of similar length. I can probably get the critique done in a month or so – maybe less if you’re pressed for time.

Hope to hear from ya! sethzherman at gmail dot com.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 07:10:12 +0000

Hi everyone!

I’m working on what I’m hesitantly referring to as “a YA contemporary sci-fi inspired by Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN”, but that genre classification may change. Here’s the short pitch:

Science prodigy Mary brings her dead boyfriend Adam back to life, but the creature who emerges from the machine isn’t the boy she loved: he’s a freak. When everyone the new Adam has encountered turns up dead and the evidence points to him, Mary is torn between destroying the monster she created – or trusting him long enough to stop a killer after the secret of life itself.

I’m up for any kind of critique, chapter by chapter, and am just focusing on finding someone I really connect with as both a reader and a writer.

My email is steph (underscore) smith (underscore) performer (at) yahoo (dot) ca. Hoping to hear from someone!

By: Eileen Donovan

Eileen Donovan — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:56:09 +0000

Thanks for this opportunity Mary. I’m writing a MG fantasy about a 12-year old boy who, after meeting a wizard, transforms into various creatures to explore their worlds. Ultimately, these experiences will help him rescue his kidnapped sister. Would love to hear from anyone who thinks this is the kind of novel(?), about 8,000 words, they would like to critique. My present critique group consists of adult novel writers and they just don’t really get my style or content. You can reach me at edonovan4906 at yahoo dot com. Hope to hear from you.

By: Jeff DeCoursey

Jeff DeCoursey — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 00:15:51 +0000

(Thanks Mary!)

Hey everyone, I’m working on an historical MG about a boy who’s kidnapped by the circus after his father steals money from the ringmaster. When his father doesn’t pay the debt to set him free, he searches for a way home, along with a way to understand his father. I’m just moving into a solid draft now, so it’ll be a month or so before it’s ready for for a read.

I’m hoping to find other MG writers who, after deciding we’re a good fit, want to go chapter by chapter, and really help one another refine our manuscripts till they shine. (Even if it takes several passes to get there). I’d love to crit anything MG, especially character driven, plot twisting, light sci-fi or fantasy, as well as contemporary. I’m not a good fit for high fantasy or really heavy sci-fi though.

If you want to email me and see if we’re a fit, drop me a line at contact(at)jeffdecoursey(dot)com By the way, I have a couple writing samples on my website, from this and another MG work in progress, if you want to test the waters first. www(dot)jeffdecoursey(dot)com

Thanks!