History of my work and question about critiquing

[TomS]

OK, I've done a little looking around at different pieces of advice and things and there's a lot I may have missed so I want to talk about the history of what I'm writing and what my writing process has been so far.

A little less than seven years ago, I finally decided on an idea for a science fiction novel. But because I was still reeling from the passing away of my mother and several other nasty things that happened around the same time, all I could really do was write down the idea in a quasi-outline form on the back of a grocery story receipt (in actuality, the idea is enough for a trilogy and that's how it has been conceived, but 'one book at a time' for now.) I set it on top of my dresser and there it stayed for nearly five years while I turned into a lifeless, drug addled zombie.

When I finally came out of my depression/stupor/what have you, I took the receipt and extended my outline to actually encompass many things that I want to have in the first book. Then, after a pause of a few months to collect my thoughts, I got to work. I've written and researched the industry. I feel I'm fairly well equipped.

There's one thing I've noticed about the style I seem to be developing. I know very well that my main strength is dialogue and when I write, I usually write dialogue first, in script form to be precise, then I add the action tags, the action itself, and the setting...in no particular order. However, the question I have is who can I talk to who can read what I've written and tell me where in the prose sections that still needs work? I have someone who is a college literature professor and has agreed to go over what I write looking for general critiques to give me. Is that good enough or should I be looking for someone who is geared more towards a science fiction state of mind?

Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

There are a couple of threads dotted around which might help. The usual concensus is we need to feedback to write, as we can't judge our own, and I've certainly found that to be the case. There is also the possibility of using a professional editor, but this is of most benefit when you've got it polished and ready to go.
There is a crits boards here, where you can post short excerpts once you reach 30 posts, and one thing I find really useful is to do crits on others, as it makes me edit mine with a more rounded eye. Worth having an explore through, see the sort of feedback that comes back. (especially before you post your first, see what you're letting yourself in for!)
In terms of your approach, it's similar to what I do - dialogue first, then building around - and there are others the same, so I wouldn't worry about that.

In terms of reading, as you get to know the site and what people are working on, it might be possible to swop work, but again, you need to get it up to the best standard you can to get the most benefit from it.

 

[The Judge]

Hi

If you're still in the midst of writing your first draft of your first book -- no matter how long in gestation it's been -- then my advice woule be not to show it to anyone just yet. Your style will continue to develop as you continue to write and pick up pieces from other people, and you may well decide to revamp the beginning long before you get to the end. It's very easy to become discouraged if someone does critique your work harshly -- and if you've only written a few thousand words it might be enough to stop you writing the rest. Finish the book and get yourself the confidence which arises from that first.

If you are eager to get some feedback, then I'd suggest that you start small to begin with. You'll have probably noticed we have a critiques section here, where you can post up to 1500 words. That is more than enough for us to be able to pick up the most obvious problems in a piece of work. That isn't open to you yet, since it's for members with a minimum of 30 counted posts (not every post in every part of the site is added to the post count under your name), but if you keep joining in discussions you'll get there soon enough. There are other critiquing sites where greater extracts are allowed but they require reciprocity -- we don't demand it, we only ask that you give help to others in return.

What many members then do, after they've had a few critiques here, is ask if anyone is prepared to read, say, three or four chapters or even the whole book, and that is then done off-site, through emails.

Your college professor will undoubtedly be of help if only to pick up eg spelling and grammar issues if they are a problem. The best thing is to have someone who is well acquainted with the genre in which you're writing, but that isn't always possible, so anyone who is literate and who will tell you straight is an advantage.

 

[Arkose]

See judges post.

 

[RcGrant]

I agree with Judge, especially regarding waiting if it's a project you intend to see through the long haul - early feedback could very well quash your enthusiasm for it.

If anything, I would suggest writing something else to receive working feedback on in the meantime. I found fanfiction (which some people scoff at) particularly useful for exploring different aspects of my writing (characterisation, plotting, general writing skills) and it is also great for receiving feedback in a 'safe' environment. I think the key with fanfiction is not to take it too seriously. In my case, at least, it was an effective part of my learning.

 

[Boneman]

Hi TomS, sounds like you've been to hell and back... and I'm glad to see you've made it out the other side.

College professors are okay, as long as they're not too intellectual to see a great story when it's in front of them. English teachers might be better, but since you're in the SciFi field, even that might not be the best help. When I started, I paid for a professional critique, which did help, but it didn't go to the heart of the matter - was the worldbuilding okay, was the story logical enough within the parameters of my constructed world and so on.

Asking for opinions from fellow scifi writers (who invariably are extremely well-read in the genre) is probably the best first step. You won't always agree with every comment, but you'll get a consensus of opinion, that helps you construct better prose, better grammar, better ideas, better characterisation, better writing - all of those are done by you... So I'd say stick around, join in, see who's who and what's what, and when you're ready (takes courage posting that first one, believe me!) put a piece up, and see if the system we have here works for you. Naturally I'm biased, but I don't think you'll be disappointed. Reading critiques that other writers have put up helps too. Browser to your heart's content - there is an incredible amount of help already in the workshop sections, and you can always ask.

I look forward to seeing you around, and hopefully some of your work!

 

[TomS]

I do have a short story which I have already submitted to two SFF magazines. Rejected twice. No matter. Yes, the first time was the hardest, but not as hard as I've heard it might be (perhaps a benefit of going through what I've been through and surviving "I am alive and I am sane. I win.") It might be a good idea to post it here and see what others think of it. My lit professor friend has looked at it for general structure and a cousin of mine who is a high school teacher proofread it, mostly for punctuation. I can never remember rules about commas. The first rejection letter said that "the story couldn't hold my interest". Hmmmm. I, of course, like it. No one I've ever let read it has said that it sucks. Quite the contrary. My professor friend even said that she thought it was fun. Maybe that's why it's less than attention grabbing(?) It actually is fun.

Anyway, I'll be sure to post it around here somewhere soon.