Critique Partners

It looks like I missed several poetry days. I hadn’t posted on my blog because I was revising my women’s fiction novel, Fogged Up Fairy Tale, and working on a book of short stories, Snapshot Stories. I’m getting down to the nitty gritty of my novel, so I also took the time to look for another critique partner. It’s harder than revising. 

Critiques are one of the creative services I offer. I know how hard it is to find a good critique partner, and how extremely important it is to have one during revisions. A writer should pay for a critique if they are unable to find a partner. A critique is critical in assisting the writer with finding flaws and letting them know when something is working. They help mold the book.

My critiques are thorough when it comes to character, plot, writing, style, dialogue, details, show vs. tell, and inconsistencies. When I work on someone’s book or short story, I want their works to be a success. They get the most from me or I wouldn’t waste my time. Some might say my critiques are brutally honest, but I don’t think I’m to the extreme. Honesty is important when analyzing works, so I tell it like it is using examples to back up my comments. My critiques also embrace praise when I see something is working or find a great line or phrase. I believe it’s important to let the writer know what they’re doing right as well as where I think they could use some help. In the end, the writer is going to choose what they deem beneficial to their works.

Finding a good critique partner is a grueling process. Everyone’s writing is different, and they are at different stages in their writing career. Also, if you find flaws and faults in a writer’s work, they might retaliate by marking up your work without cause. This has happened to me in the past. It takes time looking for and testing out critique partners.

I have a great critique partner and I thought another point of view would be great at this stage in my revisions. After posting on social media that I was looking for a critique partner, two women contacted me the same week, so we set up some guidelines. The first woman found me on Tumblr, and wanted to know if I was interested in swapping stories. Unfortunately, it turned out English wasn’t her first language, and it would have been more of an edit than a critique. I contacted her and explained why I couldn’t continue with the swap. She was very nice, and accepted my decline without argument or insults.

The second woman was flexible with deadlines, but I stressed the importance in keeping with a bi-weekly schedule. It turned out that we were at different stages in our writing careers, so the swaps wouldn’t be beneficial. Again, I sent an email explaining why I couldn’t continue with the critique. Thank goodness she was another nice woman who agreed that we weren’t a good fit.

I’m back to one. But hey, I’m not complaining, I’d rather have one great critique partner than five bad ones.

What are your experiences with critique partners?

Analysis and Honesty,

Bea

Fogged Up Fairy Tale

I know I’ve been sleeping on the blog, but I have to tell you that it’s because I’m writing. As I mentioned before, I’ve been working on a women’s fiction/chick-lit book, and it’s in the revision stages.

BUT, I finally came up with a title and created the front cover. My current novel is called Fogged Up Fairy Tale and below is the cover.  

I am excited about this book because it is very different from Net Switch, and that alone challenged me. Fogged Up Fairy Tale is slated for publication in the Summer of 2014. If you get a chance, please stop on by my author website, http://www.authordenisebaer.com/, and browse around to check out the changes.

Chick-Lit and Sarcasm,

Bea

Incredible aloud and extremely revised!

It wasn’t until the fourth revision of Net Switch when I started to read the book aloud, and it made all the difference in the world. For those writers who haven’t read your written words aloud, I suggest you start. As we read, our minds can already put in words that might be missing without us even catching it. It isn’t until you read aloud that you realize something doesn’t work.

With my newest manuscript, I have found so much in revisions when I read it aloud. I am able to catch missing words, notice where it stops flowing, awkward dialogue, and believe it or not, wrong word usage. The one thing I didn’t expect to happen in reading aloud was it bringing out more personality in my characters. When I’m reading it aloud, I change my voice a bit to reflect the characters’ personality. This helps me stay focused on my characters’ personalities. It’s a great way to enhance character development.

As writers, we take bits and pieces of our life and incorporate it into our novels. I believe this is what makes our characters and stories come alive. Don’t get me wrong, a serial killer in a novel doesn’t mean the author is a serial killer, but there are parts of the author’s personality that brings the character to life. Maybe the author has a temper or knows how to keep secrets. Whatever it is, our characters grow because we have lived. Reading aloud is another dimension to giving our characters life. I can hear my characters in my head, so when I read aloud, their attitude and personality comes out. I can tweak and show off my characters more through description or dialogue.

I’m not losing my mind when I say I can hear my characters’ voices in my head. We all do it at one time or another. I’ve heard many of people say, “I can now hear my mother, telling me to…” It’s part of life, just like it is part of creating authentic characters; flawed characters struggling from self or another kind of infliction.

Like anything else in life, practice is important. Practicing the art of writing and realizing your mistakes are key in becoming a good, if not great writer. I suggest you add reading your manuscript aloud during revisions. You’ll learn so much more about your writing, your characters, and the story.

Do you read your works aloud? Do you have another revisions tip?

Reading aloud and Characters,

Bea

P.S. The picture is of a fellow author, June Kramin.

Like the Wind

Like the wind, I’ve drifted through the days without stopping to write on my blog. I let almost a week go by without a word…or a whisper…or an endearing note. Holiday, job searches, revisions, and spending time with my Love have stopped me from posting to my blog. I’m sorry for this lull of words. By next week, I’ll be in full force with keeping up with my posts. For now, you’ll just have to fill your time watching Dancing with the Stars and the Royal Wedding. ;) I'm sure you're upset about it. 

I hope you all had a nice Easter.