(Warning… the following post contains excessive use of the word “critique”… Viewer discretion is advised.) I think I may have mentioned it but three weeks ago I joined critters.org (www.critters.org) an online critique group.  The premise of the site is simple:  you critique other’s work and get credits for the critiques and, in turn, you can submit your work to be critiqued. Sounds simple enough, right?  In fact, it is simple; the site sends you three selections to critique every week and all you have to do to stay a member in good standing is keep up a 75% critique ratio (3 critiques completed every 4 weeks).  Members are also asked to keep the critiques professional and are advised to […]

I was recently reminded about the importance of keeping the continuity of the story in mind when I write.  You may think I’m referring to the actual timeline of the story, the characters and their relationships with each other and so on.  While those things are all important, they are not what I’m talking about in this case. Let me tell a short story to explain. You picked up a new story and are busy reading it.  The story takes place in the distant past, say during the height of the Roman Empire.  The characters are doing their thing, you can almost visualize the city and see the mayhem.  Then, out of the blue, the author refers to a Porsche.  It […]

It’s an interesting dilemma that I’ve been faced with the past while.  When should I rewrite a story and when is an edit the correct choice? I’ve come to the conclusion that the choice should be entirely dependent on the the story itself.  Having said that, I realize such an on-the-fence answer doesn’t really help to make the decision any easier.  Here are some of the thoughts I’ve had when considering the topic. When I read the story, am I happy with all the major elements? (character, setting, plot, etc.) How many times has the story been rejected and did I get any useful feedback? Does the story fit any particular publisher’s requirements? Have I had anyone read the story (i.e. first […]