Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Ready for Market Challenge -- November

This is topic Ready for Market Challenge -- November in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
http://www.hatrack.com/ubb/writers/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=005234

Posted by TaleSpinner (Member # 5638) on :

You've written a story, workshopped it, revised it several times. You think it's ready for market--but is it? Is it as good as the stuff that gets published? Will the slush pile reader pick it out and send it up to the Editor? And if not, which areas are good? Which areas need work?

Now in its fourth consecutive month, the Ready for Market Challenge is designed to answer those questions for a story that you've workshopped, with a simple grading scheme and a few comments. It's a minimum of effort for your readers and, hopefully, some good information and encouragement for you. (The minimum commitment is to grade all the first 13s and provide grading and comments for at least one story, though many participants grade and comment several or even all the stories.)

If you're planning to participate, please post "I'm in" in this thread.

Then please post the first 13 of your ready-for-market story in the challenge thread, which is here:
http://www.hatrack.com/forums/writers/forum/Forum7/HTML/000090.html

Previous challenges, so you can see how it works, are here:
http://www.hatrack.com/forums/writers/forum/Forum7/HTML/000071.html (August -- 7 stories)
http://www.hatrack.com/forums/writers/forum/Forum7/HTML/000079.html (September -- 7 stories)
http://www.hatrack.com/forums/writers/forum/Forum7/HTML/000084.html (October -- 8 stories)

The scoring system as follows:

1-3 -- not yet ready for market, needs substantial work
4-6 -- might be ready for market, needs a little work
7-9 -- wow! ready for market!

Please take care to score a story as "Ready for Market" --in the 7 to 9 range--if you're truly convinced it's ready. We don't want to raise each other's hopes unrealistically.

Attributes that we score are as before, i.e.

First 13--

Story overall--

Story characteristics:

1 character development--
2 plot--
3 satisfactory ending--
4 milieu--
5 willing suspension of disbelief--
6 unique/never been done before--
7 writing style--
8 dialogue--
9 action--
10 understandable ("I get it")--

Last month, as a result of comments on the challenge, we changed the scoring system from 1-3 to 1-9. Does anyone want to suggest any other (not too difficult and within the spirit of the challenge) changes?

Enjoy!
Pat

Posted by AWSullivan (Member # 8059) on :

I'm in.

Posted by TaleSpinner (Member # 5638) on :

Bump.

Posted by kathyton (Member # 7780) on :

I've got a new one that's ready, I think

Posted by Merlion-Emrys (Member # 7912) on :

I'll be partaking

Posted by TaleSpinner (Member # 5638) on :

So far our takers for the November challenge are:

AWSullivan
kathyton
Merlion-Emrys
snapper
TaleSpinner

Welcome, one and all.

Zac chimed.

"Can I join in?" he asked.

"No," I said.

"Why?"

"'Cos you're a figment of my imagination. That's why skadder missed when he tried to shoot you. Me. Whomever."

If you have a story you've workshopped and you think it's ready for market, why not share it for one last polish before submission?

Cheers,
Pat

Posted by philocinemas (Member # 8108) on :

I'm going to try and have one ready - I have a few people looking at it right now. I've found a couple of inconsistencies in it that need to be addressed, but I hope to have it ready by the 9th.

BTW, what constitutes "workshopped"?

Posted by TaleSpinner (Member # 5638) on :

"Workshopped" means it's been revised once or twice in response to reader comments.

(The theory is that it isn't possible to write a story that's ready for market without getting someone to read and comment it, and revising in the light of those comments. That may be wrong; there might be writers out there who can write great stuff without readers. The real point is that it's as good as you can get it, almost certainly not first draft, and free of obvious errors.)

Cheers, and welcome, philocinemas,
Pat

Posted by Merlion-Emrys (Member # 7912) on :

skadder tried to shoot Zac?

Posted by TaleSpinner (Member # 5638) on :

Long story. Suffice to say, it was Zac's idea.

Posted by LAJD (Member # 8070) on :

I'm in...

Leslie

Posted by TaleSpinner (Member # 5638) on :

"Zac," I said, "Who's on the list on the fridge?"

"Seven takers so far. They are," Zac said, and listed them with a pause between each, as though awaiting applause,

"AWSullivan ...
"kathyton ...
"Merlion-Emrys ...
"snapper ...
"philocinemas ...
"LAJD ...
"TaleSpinner."

"That's great," I said, and went back to polishing my story, feverishly hunting for adverbs.

Posted by Doc Brown (Member # 1118) on :

Geeze, doesn't anyone write anything longer than 3,000 words anymore? I'm working on another novelette, around 12,000 words, and next month I'd like to submit it.

Posted by TaleSpinner (Member # 5638) on :

Which reminds me that the detailed rules are here:
http://www.hatrack.com/forums/writers/forum/Forum1/HTML/005010.html

The Ready for Market challenge is open for longer works and when we originally discussed it we said, "For novels, use partial (first 20 pages and synopsis) to read and grade, to make the amount of work equivalent to a short." I guess the same idea would work for novellas too.

As you know, it's harder to get longer works critiqued because of the amount of work involved. However, I for one might offer to crit the whole thing if the first 20 pages and synopsis grab my attention, because I realize that for me it's time to tackle longer pieces and critting the work of others will help me as well as, hopefully, them. So do please offer your novella to RFM when it's ready.

Closing date for the November challenge is tomorrow, Sunday.

Cheers,
Pat

Posted by philocinemas (Member # 8108) on :

Sorry, I'm going to have to bail out - I've apparently got a little more work to do on my piece.

Posted by TaleSpinner (Member # 5638) on :

"Little" as in, "gimme a day or two"; or as in, "oh my gosh the characters are all in a tizzy and I can't sort it all out this side of Christmas"?

I'm challenged too, but hope to have something later tonight.

If waiting a day or two would help, I'm all for it because it's that or wait another month.

Cheers,
Pat

Posted by philocinemas (Member # 8108) on :

Probably "gimme a day or two" - I just got back my crits and I need to coalesce the comments and decide how to best adjust my story.

Thanks

Posted by TaleSpinner (Member # 5638) on :

I need a day or two as well.

Tel you what, last month we had some late subs and it didn't seem to hurt the overall process, so I'll kick off the next phase but we'll stay open for subs for a few more days.

Okay everyone?

Cheers,
Pat

Posted by philocinemas (Member # 8108) on :

I'm sorry Pat, I've got too much going on this month. I'm getting backed up on paperwork at work, and I've got a vacation on the 21st. I'll try again next month.

Thanks.

Chuck

Posted by LAJD (Member # 8070) on :

When do we start posting the crits of the first 13 and requesting full stories? Can I post now and request stories? Or maybe, anyone who wants to can just send me a story and I will start critting?

I want to review all, if possible and would like to get started so I don't get hammered by Turkey Day and my anticipated end of month Nano-crunch.

Leslie

Posted by TaleSpinner (Member # 5638) on :

Yeah, yeah, do start grading first 13s and requesting manuscripts--I thought I'd posted to that effect in the challenge thread but apparently it wasn't clear.

Sorry I haven't been paying attention as much as I should, I have some unexpectedly long days on account of being in a hotel right across London from the client, and a couple of idiotic situations to deal with.

I hope to get to my story later this week but in the meantime or in case I have to give it a miss this month do please continue--I will certainly get to grading shortly and, again, everyone do please send me your MS if you'd like me to give it a read.

Cheers,
Pat