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This was a critique group for writers that entered a story into the fourth quarter of 2012 in the Writers of the Future contest (29th year).
After the end of the quarter, entries submitted have been responded to as thus:
Honorable Mention: Jennifer Hicks (JenniferHicks) Anna Yeatts (A Yeatts) Rebecca Birch (rabirch) Frank Dutkiewicz (snapper) James A. Hanzelka (Utahute72) (Boone)
Congratulations to everyone that submitted!
If you participated in the group and got some kind of award for this quarter, let me know and I'll add you to the list.
posted
Holy nut-job, Batman. This guy must be crazy. It can't be that time already. We're still waiting on results from Quarter 1, for crying out loud!
Posts: 599 | Registered: Sep 2007
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Yikes! You're right. We're still up in the air about Q1, and for those who haven't received word on their Q1 submission, it's nail-biting time.
Oh, BTW, I've sent in my Q3 piece (thank you fellow critiquers for thoughtful and helpful comments), and to keep my mind off Q1, I've started work on my Q4 piece. So, I'll start the list:
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I'm out this quarter. I had a great time working on my Q3 story (it should go out the door this weekend), but I want to focus on a different project for a while.
Strycher - Generally WriterDan splits up the group as the first draft deadline comes near, so we can have fresh eyes on later drafts and are not overloaded with work. However, that would be too late for what you propose, and I like the idea. It shouldn't be too much work, so I'll swap some loglines with you (and whoever else wants to join the fun).
Posts: 789 | Registered: Aug 2007
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I said mine was done but I need to go back over it to see about adding more struggle--assuming the new guy likes struggle--and adding even more of the five senses.
Plus probably a number of other writing fixes.
Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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quote:Also, Louis, what are you talking about with the 5 senses? That's your most consistent crit of MY stuff. Surely you have plenty of it in your own.
I can't recall any specific examples, but I also can't recall that ever being a problem for you.
Probably most consistent crit of most propels stuff.
But this here story was written a bit ago, nigh onto five and a half to six and half years ago. 'Tis my first HM and I be thinking I'll give it another try.
quote:Besides, 98% of your scenes take place at night, so you could probably go easy on the visual stuff.
Hmm, really? I need to check that out-not that it matters that much...but this one takes place in a busted war-spaceship. Himm, maybe add a scene with the lights going out. "Oops, knew I shouldn't have cut that red, light refacking, fiber optic power cable" "If I hadn't been drunk in my repair class I would have known it should have been the Mauve with Chartreuse stripes light refacing, fiber optic Comm cable. Now I'm going to have to find that invisible, luminescence pulse racing cable. And do it fast I think I smell Alpha Induced Spearmint gas they use in the Sublight Quasar-like Interstellar Drives. It always leaves a bad taste in my mouth I can't get rid of for days. And if too match of that gets concentrated around dead bodies it turns then into face eating zombies. Oh boy I fall asleep in the class about how to deal with face eating zombies created by heavy concentrations of Alpha Induced Spearmint gas..it wasn't my fault; the Prof was boring, it was early early and I stayed up late chatting and drink beer with an old buddy...What just drifted across my arm? Air from an open hatch? And what was that a footstep? OH OH."
Before anyone wonders my HM story does have a space ship but has nothing to do with zombies or Alpha Induced Spearmint gas or any type of gas etc..
posted
Hmmm 1st drafts on July 14th, eh? Well, I've got 600 words . . . That's a start, right?
Do you guys actually start writing for the next quarter a month before the present quarter's deadline? It sounds fantastic to be that far ahead, but I think this is the first quarter where I started ahead at all. And I only started writing Q4 on the second to last day of Q3.
Posts: 35 | Registered: May 2012
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quote:And if too match of that gets concentrated around dead bodies it turns then into face eating zombies.
Oh boy now I've gone and done it. I had a few minutes so I relaxed which was a big mistake. My Not story this line came from came to mind and without asking me for permission my muse took it on. I thought out the next two scenes for this zombie tale before I realized what I was doing. Talk about being a writerholic .
Oh, great now I may have to actually write out the thing. The MC has rescued a girl--civilian he has no idea of how she got on the ship--and there's a half zombie blasting away with an automatic weapon. is he shooting at the Zombies or the MC and girl??? He will turn all the way soon and forget about the gun. I may have to finish it just to see if they escape and where that darn girl came from.
Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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posted
It's beginning to look like I might actually have a draft done by the 14th. I was afraid for a bit there that it wasn't going to come together. I've got just over 3k words so far. Phew!
Posts: 248 | Registered: May 2012
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I'm toying with the idea of submitting a story that got an HM last year again this year. New judge, different result? This story has gotten really good feedback from magazines in form of personal rejections, but hasn't been picked up. Some of you have read it before though. So, anyway:
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First draft is done! I'm looking forward to starting the critique process.
Also, I'm very grateful for this group and the deadline. There's nothing like a deadline to get me writing. =)
Posts: 248 | Registered: May 2012
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Yay! I'm hoping to be done very soon too. But I need to do some repair work before I can send it out for critiques, otherwise people will think I'm on crack (like they don't already...). So then I will have two stories to choose from for this quarter. Posts: 223 | Registered: Sep 2007
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quote:Originally posted by mbwood: Er, it's Friday the thirteenth and the good news is the first drafts are due out tomorrow... I wonder what the bad news is?
Are you ready? Are you really ready? Are you ready for / to do some kick-butt critiquing?
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The bad news for me is that I'll be on vacation (including a writing workshop) for over a week in there between first and second draft due dates. Good news is I already finished all the crits for the workshop, otherwise I'd be panicking right about now. I can only do so many at once!
Posts: 248 | Registered: May 2012
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I'm going to be on vacation from the 20-28 or so. But I should still be able to do the crits. My story might be a bit late, but NOT like the past couple of quarters where I kind of died. At least I hope not. There's still always the chance of a family crisis, of course...but let's hope for the best!
Posts: 223 | Registered: Sep 2007
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quote:Originally posted by mrmeadors: But I need to do some repair work before I can send it out for critiques...
I finished my story a few weeks ago, but I also have some repair work to do -- possibly a lot of repair work -- before I'd feel comfortable sending it out. But that's what tomorrow is for, right?
Posts: 14 | Registered: Nov 2011
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Repair work? Oh, boy, does that sound ominous. Yeah, I guess all of our submissions require 'repair work,' 'cause nothing we submit is perfect... right? Please, please, repair my story... please!
Posts: 216 | Registered: May 2011
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Grr.... I am SOO close yet, so far. I keep finding blanks in the story that need to be filled in. And I have a feeling I am going to have to rewrite a lot in this. I must press on!
Posts: 223 | Registered: Sep 2007
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I have to go back over my story one more time to find some of the nitpicks but other than that it's ready.
But as to repair work, we all need it, some more than others but
It's not up to critters to do the repairing--they just point out the broken parts we need to do the repairing... Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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I'm satisfied with my story *as a first draft*. It's got more work to be done, and I know it, but it's got beginning, middle, and an end, so there's something there to work with.
Posts: 248 | Registered: May 2012
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yes, exactly... mine has holes, so I have to keep working. There is also some extra stuff in there. Too many words Posts: 223 | Registered: Sep 2007
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Mine will be a day or two late. I'm busy trying to not to go through withdrawal...in other words I'm writing new stuff before I start screaming and/or getting cranky.
Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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I'm screaming and getting cranky, and my story will be a bit late too. Hopefully by the end of the week you'l see something that resembles a story from me.
Posts: 223 | Registered: Sep 2007
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Okay, here we are, and here I am. Finally. Moved residences two weeks ago and between moving in (which is WAY more than just relocating our "stuff") and trying to get someone to come set up my freaking internet, I've pretty much been a basket case. To say the least, I'm about another week out on finishing my story for the quarter. But it's coming.
Here's groups for this round of crits (we'll go with Axe's suggestions from above, as they're so nicey and stuff...):
Group 1: WriterDan mbwood UtahUte72 rabirch
Group 2: Boone Strycher Brendan LDWriter2
Group 3: Owasm Greenroom A Yeatts mrmeadors
So, for this round. Everyone swap within your group (aka, send your story to everyone in the group you're listed in). To make things simple, PLEASE review the crit suggestions from my first post in this discussion thread. I'll explain how things will go for the next round once we get there.
Here's to hoping for the best this time around. I feel like I've been out of the contest/writing loop for forever, but I'm committed to getting a story in this quarter. I hope everyone else is too.
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Okay, I've sent my story off to WriterDan, UtahUte2 & RABirch. Please send me your stories and I'll get right on it.
Posts: 216 | Registered: May 2011
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I just sent mine off to the people in my group. If you don't get it, please let me know. Or even if you do get it, let me know so I don't worry its lurking in your spam folders!
Posts: 14 | Registered: Nov 2011
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At least I hope not. There's still always the chance of a family crisis, of course...but let's hope for the best!
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I love story-buzz.
