I have a new critique partner. But...

[belledechocchipcookie]

There's no easy way to put this. She read a chapter of my work first. She got the genre wrong (it's a fantasy, not a sci fi), Ok, I can live with that. She's said she's not read all of it as it got a little too scary for her (it's a children's book). She said she loved my writing though, cool I though and wants to read more of my work but isn't willing to spend a lot of time helping me as it's 'not her genre'. Then she sent me a book she was working on. She's not sure if it 'safe' for children to read. It's dire. Most of the book is about a child feeling sick, the story starts 3/4 of the way through, it's flat and it's too short. There's so much wrong with it and I'd feel bad telling her all of this, is there an easy way to put it? I'm not an expert but I've read a lot of books.

I still need a critique partner Any suggestions? Thank you.

[ImperialBlether]

So basically she didn't pay much attention to yours but then sent hers for you to work on?

Ignore, ignore, ignore. You just have to say you're far too busy to work on anything unless there's an exchange.

Just say "I love your writing, but it's not really my genre" back!

[belledechocchipcookie]

She didn't finish reading the chapter. It wasn't scary, it's tame compared to some of the others It's so hard trying to find someone to work with. When I do find someone willing their writing isn't the same as mine at all.

Thank you

[purplewerepidj]

Would a bookworm with a lack of funds for books be ok? I don't write, but I love to read and fantasy's right up my street... PM if you want my email address and I'll read and offer an opinion?

[MysteriousHamster]

I've seen this happen on critiquecircle a fair bit - there you get people who want you to do a 'return crit' but obviously have no genuine interest in doing some work reading yours.

I would just tell her you don't have time to do critiques for people who aren't writing the same genre as you. Or some other excuse.

[belledechocchipcookie]

Thanks Mysterious. I can't do a critique on it, it would take far too long. (I'm not saying my work is perfect). Why's it so damn hard to get any sort of feedback? I don't want a line by line edit, just an idea of how if I'm going wrong and how I can improve it.

[MysteriousHamster]

Weeeell, you could try critiquecircle - in the newbie bit you get 6 critiques (that's the max sadly) and normally you crit other people's stuff too. It's interesting because you get people who don't have to be nice to you so can be a bit too tough sometimes, whilst others are both helpful and honest. And some just give you fluff so they can get 'points' to put more stuff of their own up.

Generally it is hard to find critique partners because people are lazy and good critiques take work!

[belledechocchipcookie]

I could, I don't want to plaster it all over the internet though. I'll give it a try, thank you :)

[MysteriousHamster]

You have to log in to see stories and you can take them down afterwards, I believe, but I do know what you mean. Am sure there must be ones that work on email only, but I don't know that much about them. It's quite rare for me to get the guts to get something critiqued!

[belledechocchipcookie]

I've joined youwrite, as advised by a writer on Twitter. He says it's good, we'll see.

Thank you Hamster. I still need to email my 'critique partner' and let her down.

[SecretSpi]

Ouch! That's a tricky situation. I once offered to look at one chapter of someone's work and he sent me the whole thing. It wasn't terribly good and I attempted to be honest but still polite/respectful, then made up some work-related excuse that my writing activities were going on hold for a bit!

I don't know how many writers' forums you may already have tried but I'm on The Word Cloud
writing-community.writersworkshop.co.uk/
I found a critique partner on there after a few months of getting to know who was who and we swopped ms's privately - it worked out well in my case.

[belledechocchipcookie]

Thank you SecretSpi I was asked to read something months ago, it was terrible. On the first page there were about 20 characters and there were sentences which were 4 lines long. She then said it had already been editied!

I emailed and said it was the wrong genre for me and I didn't know enough about it. I then suggested she read more for this age group (only because everyone should read more), then she said she reads books for this age all the time There must be a difference between reading books and learning structure and content from them.

[belledechocchipcookie]

Edited, not editied. Doh! I should have proof read before hitting 'post'

[ninah]

ah belle what a shame, the critique partner arrangement sounded such a good idea too. Hopefully reading a sample of her work has reinforced your confidence in your own writing ....and editing!
I'd offer to help but realistically won't be any use to you til the summer hols (having just wasted the half term not doing much )
on the other hand if I sent someone something terrible I'd want to know, even if it was embarrassing. I'm sure you are more diplomatic than I am and can put it to her in a positive way. The things you've picked out, she needs to know about if she's going to get better?
and y there is a diff between reading and learning from your reading. I read like an addict but I still can't do the magic!

[belledechocchipcookie]

Thank you. Or maybe her's was outstanding and mine is shite??

I recommended she made it longer, removed the (15 in one page) vomit references, and read more books for the age group. I'm not sure how well it went down but at least I tried. I know you're busy, it's incredibly kind of you to offer though Thank you. You need to work on yours first, you were so close.

[belledechocchipcookie]

Or should that be 'hers'? Hmm.

[ninah]

jeez 15????? I know some dc like vomit and the lavatorial, but that's giving it some! what would she mean by 'not safe'? don't suppose that ever bothered r dahl, m morpurgo or the eds of horrid histories
You would have known if it was outstanding.
I think children's books must be the absolute hardest.
yy I am still sending my last one off! and have notes for next one, but only back of envelope type thing. It will hopefully be most 'unsafe' though I plan to tone down the bad language. And drug use. I don't think my aunt could stand another in that er vein?!
pass a canape

[belledechocchipcookie]

I know, I feel guilty for laughing. I love writing for children, they are so demanding. I have to think of the children's age ranges, their levels of comprehension, that's before I even work out the plot. It keeps me on my toes. Keep at it ninah. I may have an agency to try, no news about my picture books yet. I'm seeing this as good, the publisher will have to go through the rest of her team before she can accept or decline. How's your course going?

[ninah]

yes that is hopeful ime rejections tend to come quite quickly! fingers crossed for you. and with potential agent. someone on this site is due a break, surely!
know what you mean about age range. I always worked with nursery age group and now with Y1 sometimes it's a struggle knowing how to pitch information. My dc are nearly 6 and 9 if ever you need child readers! ds love myth and legend which might be useful for you. I'd love to write for beginning readers but I do think it's very difficult as you need to be wildly imaginative and yet simple and coherent (and no sex drugs or rocknroll).
so keep on keeping on!
I am loving the course but at the same time finding it stressful and time consuming. I'd planned to do all sorts of study/reading over half term and I really haven't done a lot, apart from skills tests which you have to do online. I had got myself into a wound up state where I couldn't really sleep so I have made up for that, and had the obligatory half term cold. Could do with another week really! it's really fun to be involved with emerging literacy though. Some children really struggle with it and aren't too familiar with stories either so I'm quite passionate about involving them. Others have sophisticated sense of narrative and it's a pleasure to see what ideas they come up with. Oh, and imagination from all members of the class ...
maybe when I am further down the line and it's not all taking so long I'll be able to write in my spare time again. Right now because I'm learning everything's taking ages! and the day job has to come first

[belledechocchipcookie]

I hope so. I've been freelancing as well, note taking for a deaf lady. I have to transcribe it all afterwards as her literacy level is really poor. She doesn't have SN, just not given the opportunity to learn. It's good for me as it's all experience (and cash) and it will help her complete her degree.

You have to take it easy, it's just one year and isn't worth making youself ill for. Ds has had 2 weeks off, it's been lovely. Another one would be great

[ninah]

that sounds worthwhile! it a bit of an eyeopener to me that opportunities to learn can be limited and so unequal. I mean, I always knew there were intelligent people whose education was curtailed - my mother worked in adult literacy - in fact my own schooling wasn't immaculate and I only passed my maths gcse last year - but it's hard to imagine young children, with all their natural curiosity, and the possibility of it being shut down from lack of support. It's likely that my second placement will be in an increasingly 'diverse' school so we'll see ...hats off to your student, uni must have been a daunting prospect for her. Hope it's an interesting subject!
and yy another week would be magic! (only 7 weeks til Xmas)

[belledechocchipcookie]

I really admire her, it's incredibly brave. I feel honoured to be able to use my 'skill' to help her. I hope your next placement goes well. I couldn't teach, I hate talking to groups. I've just done my christmas food shop (shudders).

[TheBrideofFrankenstein]

The problem with free mutual critique forums (MCF) is that, as any agent will tell you, 95% of wannabe writers are talentless but completely delusional, and that's just the ones that get as far as submitting to an agent. As a result, maybe 70% of people who crop up on MCFs are also going to be talentless but delusional (I imagine the really really delusional ones don't do MC as they think their work is perfect anyway). Tracking down one who is

• talented enough to know what good writing looks like, and, more importantly, why a piece of writing isn't working.
  
• interested in your genre
  
• good at critiquing- not all good writers make good critique partners
  

is bloody difficult. I've been really fortunate to find a real life group in my city where we have a brutal honesty rule and it's working really well. However, I've also done online things where people don't really go beyond "I liked it. It was nice" or "I didn't like it." Not helpful.

I also do paid critique for a published writer (I met her through an online novel writing course, we gelled, so when the course finished we stayed in touch and did some mutual critique - she then went on to get that novel published. I'm helping her on her second one). She's paying me because it takes a long time to do it properly and she doesn't have time to repay the favour in kind anymore. However, as a result, I do make sure that I do a really thorough, professional job.

I dont really have any answers. I think maybe stalk these forums until you find a likeminded individual, and then try to take it offline and come to a private agreement.

[TheBrideofFrankenstein]

ps- I don't think you have to have a critique partner who writes in the same genre as you, but they have to be willing to make the effort to understand that genre and judge your writing against that genre.

i.e not say "I didn't find it realistic" if someone's writing Fantasy.

In my group we have one literary fiction, one accessible literary, one high fantasy, one supernatural thriller, one memoir. It still works.

[belledechocchipcookie]

Thank you Frankenstein There's a group here, there's only 4 members though and they meet in the evenings, I have no childcare. I know exactly what you mean about online groups, I joined authonomy for a very short while. It was...enlightening! I'm in a critiqe group which critiques picture books, it's OK. I've no idea about the standard of my work. I want to improve it and I think it's fairly good but, then again, am I delusional also?

[purplewerepidj]

Having read Belle's prologue (really really sorry I haven't got further yet, I started a new job this week which I'm working around the old one because of notice periods!) I would definitely try it on your 9yo, Ninah