CoG Writers Peer Review Club

[Ink Asylum]

Welcome to the CoG Writers Peer Review Club! In this thread we take turns reading, critiquing, and offering constructive criticism on each others' finished or unfinished work. It could be a finished draft of a novel or just a few thousand words, but if it's much longer than a typical novel (60-80k words), please break it up into smaller sections to review on multiple turns.

Although the Club has officially started, you can still join and we'll put your name at the end of the list. You will be expected to read and critique the other authors until your name comes around, to be fair.

The process:

The next author in line makes a post with at least the following info:

• Title and/or brief description
• Word count
• Either a link, or if the author would like to keep it private, we can collect e-mail addresses to share
• Desired areas of focus for critique/discussion, questions to ask readers

The group takes 2 weeks to read the work, during which time we ask for people to refrain from discussion, so that everyone has a chance to finish. If you want to ask the author a question to aid your critique while you read that's fine. If everyone posts that they've finished before the 2 weeks is up we can start discussion early.

After that, we'll have 2 weeks for discussion, then move on to the next author. If the reviewed author has another work they'd like to contribute we can add it to the end of the list at that point.

The list:

1. Shunoshi
2. Ink Asylum
3. Blue
4. Kielaran
5. Dorkandproudofit
6. Crittias
7. Krispy
8. Evilgoodwin

Critique Only

• Pomeroy

[Blue]

I'd be interested. I'm about a month away from finishing my book and was going to then be into the first pass of gutting it and editing and would love some additional thoughts. I'll likely end up somewhere around 120k-130k words, depending. My goal was to be finished by mid January.

Anyhow: definitely interested.

[shunoshi]

I think this is a great idea if people are interested. Seems lately that many of the serious writers on the site have gone silent. Most of the writing threads haven't seen any action in quite awhile.

Nonetheless, if we get a group together, I'm down for creating our own workshop circle.

[Kielaran]

Maybe. I would be more interested in reading than posting my own stuff, if for no other reason than mine is not even half way done yet and I will need to go back and fill in a lot of details (like names, descriptions, changes that aren't in the beginning, etc.).

[Ink Asylum]

I don't think anyone is going to mind having someone who just wants to read/critique but not submit their own work. At least I don't.

I've got two failed NaNo projects, one at 23k and one at 33k. As they're the first long pieces of fiction I've ever written I definitely am interested in two things:

1) Whether I'm any good at writing in the first place and what my strengths/weaknesses are.
2) If either idea is worth bringing to completion.

[evilgoodwin]

Originally Posted by Ink Asylum

I don't think anyone is going to mind having someone who just wants to read/critique but not submit their own work. At least I don't.

I've got two failed NaNo projects, one at 23k and one at 33k. As they're the first long pieces of fiction I've ever written I definitely am interested in two things:

1) Whether I'm any good at writing in the first place and what my strengths/weaknesses are.
2) If either idea is worth bringing to completion.

I'm in the same boat.

Only the first one is at 7k and the second one is at 8k.

I blame Skyrim and whatever game I played last November :P

[shunoshi]

Originally Posted by Ink Asylum

Whether I'm any good at writing in the first place

This is a question that I asked myself for quite awhile. Whether writing is good writing is extremely subjective. My suggestion is to just believe in yourself. As long as you have a solid grasp of the English language and some semblance of imagination, your writing is likely good.


Speaking of failed NaNo projects, I wouldn't mind a critique of my attempt in 2008 that netted me about 17k words. I ended up losing interest in it, thinking the story premise and how it was progressing just wasn't "good enough". I'd like to hear others' thoughts on it.

If we get a solid 6-8 people we could have ourselves a great little workshop.

[Blue]

For what it's worth, mine is a series of short stories that loosely intersect so I would be ready to go sooner if people want to as I have 7 of the 8 done (though, when I say "short", they range from 10 - 50 pages typed, usually the longer end), I just wouldn't have gone back and hit first-pass grammar stuff or editing. I tend to gut when I edit so if rough is good, I'd be ready earlier.

My hope is to start finishing it around by early spring.

[torrefaction]

Originally Posted by Krispy

I'm helping put together a script that my friends and I are looking to shoot. Perhaps I can net some opinions from you fine gentlemen once it gets cleaned up a bit.

I truly hope it's the script we were talking about.

I really, really do.

*Edit*

Also, I've really been meaning to kick myself into gear and start writing again. I've got quite a few ideas that have rumbled in my head for a while.

[Hawkzombie]

I am terrible. I don't need other people to tell me that

[Kielaran]

Originally Posted by Hawkzombie

I am terrible. I don't need other people to tell me that

Don't go straying too far. Once I finish up what I started during nano and I'm happy with it, I plan to pick your brain about self publishing.

[Hawkzombie]

Originally Posted by Krispy

It's not about assessment of good or bad, but direction in further development.

Hm, good point. I suppose I'm in, then.


What is a writer by a miserable little pile of word docs! ENOUGH FONTS!! HAVE AT YOU!

[evilgoodwin]

Originally Posted by Hawkzombie

Hm, good point. I suppose I'm in, then.


What is a writer by a miserable little pile of word docs! ENOUGH FONTS!! HAVE AT YOU!

I want to mail you a delicious ham for this.


Also, I'm in. I need to be taken down a peg

[Ink Asylum]

I've added a list to the OP of people who expressed interest in participating. If you want to be on the list just say so.

I think we have enough to consider starting, but room for more if anyone wants to join along the way. There's a few things we should settle on. Let me know what your opinions are about the following:

1. Should we have a length limit? Or is anything up to a full-length novel acceptable for review?
2. How much reading time should be given? It should probably vary if someone presents something really short, but for something approaching novel length what's a good reading period? Two weeks? A month? We want to balance reading time, review time, and making sure people don't have to wait years to have their work reviewed.
3. How do we consider review order? Is there a fair online way to do it? If you guys trust me, I can put the names in a hat and draw them. If so, I'd even stipulate that even if my name comes out first I'll put it back in the hat. Once we have the initial list, new people can join at the end of the list.

[Kielaran]

Mark me down for throwing a sample in at the end of the list. By then I am guessing I will have something worth putting out there.

[Blue]

1. I'd personally say no as I'd rather people submit what they want and not need to worry about that particular limit.

2. Depends on the length as you said. I'd say anywhere around 2 weeks give or take. If it's longer, can even break it up into chapters so after the first round of critique comes in, they can start working on tweaks and reviewing the suggestions as the next batch is being read, etc.

3. That sounds fair to me - though I'd say if you're pulled first to go first .

[shunoshi]

I'd prefer no limits. We can base the amount of time given on the length of the material. Should we set some guidelines for critiquing or leave it up in the air? I'm also fine with the random pull, and as Blue said, if you get picked first, go first.

[Ink Asylum]

Thanks for the trust, guys.

If I can propose a process:

The next author in line makes a post with at least the following info:

• Title and brief description
• Word count
• Either a link, or if the author would like to keep it private, we can collect e-mail addresses to share
• Desired areas of focus for critique/discussion, questions to ask readers

Should we wait until everyone has confirmed finishing the book to discuss, or two weeks, whichever is longer? Discuss as we go, like when we play new games?

[Blue]

My only personal concern with discussing as we go is things may be a little less organized that way especially if everyone is at different points and we're still waiting on others to chime in. I'd rather wait the extra time and have a solid round-table than two people talking back and forth and then adding a third who may cover old ground, etc.

Up to the group, of course.

[Kielaran]

I prefer discuss as we go, especially if the pieces end up being longer.