The Review Club Forum Discussion for Chrissie's (C. ..

This is the place to respond to reviews and for further discussion for Chrissie's (C. Rae Sparling) Angenii.

Hi guys,

I don't know anyone here but CC, so I thought I would introduce myself.

I joined Urbis just a few weeks ago and discovered CC, hence my invite here. :)

I've been writing seriously for six years. Angenii is my sixth novel. It will be completed Feb.28th, 2007. I don't do shorts or poetry and have no publishing credits to speak of, but I have high hopes. :)

When it comes to critiquing, I find the less you say the better. Some people will disagree. From my experience, pointing out every single indescretion in a story can often times be overwhelming to the writer and considerably simplified on the critiquers part. Most, for lack of a better word, "problems" start with page one and are carried through out the text. So, if we pin point said "problems", correct them from the beginning, we solve the problems of the universe. :) Make sense?

Okay, so that is not my opinion, I'm lying. :) I was told that by a friend when I started reading slush and it seems to work. So that's what I do.

I can't wait to get to know you guys. From reading the forum here, it feels like many of you already have strong bonds of friendship and I hope to be apart of those someday.

Take care,
Chrissie

Well let me be the first to say, "Hi Chrissie". It's good to have you here and I'm looking forward to reading your reviews.

Cameron

Hi, Chrissie,

Thanks for introducing yourself. I�ll give you a little of myself in return.

I read all your reviews from last week, and have certain recollections about them. Especially as regards your following words:

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I have a disagreement with this theory. I understand why this is what slush pile readers are taught. Thankfully, manuscripts are not piling up around our ears here. We have a bit of leisure to spend on stories and their authors.

I think story is boss, and to get the story a reader must see it through from A to Z. I recall being unable to tell from two of your four reviews whether you read past the first page, including my own 4800 words. Please know these are not sour grapes; any lawyer would agree my impression, based strictly on the words in those reviews, and without any reflection on your character, is correct. I have been writing full time for over four years and reviewed hundreds of pieces for others. I am both open-minded and thick-skinned. My hope is that I am telling you something you will find useful.

I do think we can fall into habits of judging too quickly, of writing off a work, doing ourselves a disservice by not looking deeply enough at the whole piece. By neglecting all but the first few paragraphs, we can never know what wonderful stories, and what pleasures, we have missed.

Western medicine comes to mind. It is famous for lacking a holistic approach. Imagine if we needed three readers per story: one to dissect the beginning, one for the middle, another for the end. Why, nobody would ever "get" any story, no matter how good it is.

I urge everyone to look at the whole story. For how often do we get a chance to read a story and then discuss it with its creator? If we �get� what the author is trying to do, we even have a chance to affect her work, becoming a small part of it.

Chrissie, I look forward to your further participation, and to getting to know you through your work both as a writer and as a reader.

Bill W.

No sour grapes what so ever. You feel what you feel. Can't change it. NOR will I argue it. :)

I can let you know that I did read all pages of my reviews last week; some of them twice, some of them three times. I found the patterns with them all in sentence one. I can nit pick the remainder of the document and if you'd like me to do that in the future when it comes to you I will.

I believe simple is better. Why give you a hundred one liners that need same adjustments when I can sum it up into one sentence and let you be the writer?

The lawyer comments flew over my head. I am a writer. Not a lawyer. I've been trained to critique thousands of novels in a short period of time. Those pieces with common mistakes are the first out of the slush pile. So, that's what I look for. That's where I like to help.

But I saw that my review was marked unhelpful for you so I will do better next to time to word my crit to your liking. :)

Have a great day! :)
Chrissie

Hi Chrissie, I have reviewed your piece. I think generally you have a good style with your writing. My concerns are largely character issues.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask me.

You'll note that with my reviews I tend to go over the material line by line for issues and thoughts as I go, so that you know exactly where these issues arise in my reading of the material. I think that's helpful for the writer so you know exactly where I see the problem and why.

Cheers!

Rob

Hi Chrissie:

Thanks for the introduction. It's nice to have you in our group. Good luck on the deadline for finishing your book.

Julie

Hey Chrissie, nice to be introduced. A slush pile reader, eh? Very cool - what an important addition you are to the group. You've held so many of our pathetic little lives in your hands. A Pontius Pilate analogy keeps popping in my mind - "Jeffrey, I wash my hands of you!" Can't wait to read your stuff and hear your thoughts on mine.

I liked your comments, CDN. I think I can add slightly to Rachel's character in the the beginning. Perhaps in one paragraph. One extra sentence. I know it's not much, but I think I see where and how without pulling out of the read for an info dump. And the credit goes to you. :)

Chrissie

Thanks Ja,

My kids are gone for five days, okay two left and I am plugging about 8000 words a day. I'll finish by wed.

Chrissie

Wow, that is amazing. I thought cc was the only person who could write that much in a day.

Slush reading gives you a new POV on the world of publishing. Sadly, the last year I did it I was in charge of re-sending out rejections that were eaten by spam filters. I actually tried to be nice, giving words of encouragement, but after the 5000 complaints and questions of WHY I went to a standard form letter. I stopped all together this last june when Jim Baen died. I decided life was to short to waist and, damn it, I was going to be a writer not a publishing junky!

Chrissie

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I've written that much in a day before. It was pure crap lol Sounds like you are a natural.

Chrissie-

Thanks for the introduction...I probably should have done that myself (I'll get around to that on my next time at bat). Anyway, glad to have you in the group. With the wealth of experience in the group, I just hope I can contribute something worth while...

-Mike

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That depends on your definition of natural. If you consider the 1,345,000 words I've written before this book practice, then, yes, I'm a natural. And, a natural Loreal red head too. ;)

Chrissie

Mykie,

Look at that picture you have on your profile, you've already contributed something worth while. :)

Chrissie

Hey, welcome to the group Chrissie. I enjoyed your story so far and look forward to more.

I wanted to say to the others that I can write 8k words in a day, but that is rare and I need to be on a serious roll. 2-3k is about average for me. Or a single chapter.

Anyway, I hope you found my review helpful. I don't think it was. I couldn't think of anything where the story lacks.

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Chrissie

Looks like you and my wife have something in common. Loreal. Considereing I do it for her every other month, I should have been a hair stylist.

Before my last child was born I found the time to write, now I'm lucky to grab an hour a day.( I have 3 children) Really, I may get in 3 or 4 hours a week. I find I need quite and alone time to write. Without that it's like pulling hairs to get the words out.

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Anthony, you win husband of the year award.

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Wow, Kim. I knew you were good but....