A Review of my Critique

Okay, I must admit, I'm glowing today. Another writer said wonderful things about a read I did for him.

 CHECK OUT RICHARD'S REVIEW OF MY CRITIQUE HERE 

Sharing my work is hard. I like to edit my own work until my eyes bleed. But! I did lay it lovingly in the hands of other writers. Several times this year. And! Guess what? The best part about letting other writers read my work is that they might let me read theirs. Now that is fun.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the wonderful writers who let me read their WIP this year and who returned the expertise and read mine. I worked with some incredible talent, and each time it brought me, as a writer to reach new levels, to push myself a little further. 

I really enjoy reading the drafts of other writers, more than this, I enjoy studying their work and how they saw mine! Studying a finished, published novel is one thing, studying a WIP is another. How and why they wrote things, where the plot was going, and how these word choices made me feel.

I got to get inside the wonderful minds of Liz, Robert, Reece, Richard, Torrie, Vicki, and Valentina. Each one is very different from the other and each one taught me something incredible about my own writing. So yup, it's been a busy year, but as part of the journey it wasn't only fun, I was lucky enough to pull a couple crit partners out of the deal and a few great friendships emerged. So next year will be just as interesting, I'm sure.

You get any useful feedback this year? Do you like getting a critique back or giving them out? Feel free to share, thank your posse, or just vent about how you can't let your work go until your eyes bleed.

Need a crit partner? Need a reader? If you don't write, do you want to be a reader? Everyone can play this game!

Kidnapped, Cheating, and a Contest! Phew!

KIDNAPPED: Okay so I'm not exactly kidnapped. I'm just over at Reece's place and we're having a chat. That's right, I took time to kick back and talk about myself with one of my talented writing buddies and crit partners, Reece Hanzon. CHECK OUT OUR CONVERSATION HERE. 



I'm just a click away, don't miss me, join me!!

CHEATING: What are some of the wonderful things we're discussing? Well... writing of course!!!

Oh let's see... here is just a taste;

Reece says:

What do you do to counteract writer’s block?

Tanya answers: (in her oh so honest way)

I cheat.

For me it’s not so much that I can’t find the words, but that I can’t steal the time. So when I tell you that I write full time every single day, that I do not ever ever miss a day (this is the Writer’s truth too I never do!)-- not even when attacked by a dog, down with a sinus infection, and enduring flu-like symptoms (yeah on the same day), know that I... might......... be cheating a bit and my writing time might actually have involved letting a steamy fantasy sweep me away (which I later reviewed on my blog).  

Oh??? The secret is what to count as writing. You should count everything that furthers your writing career. Think about it.... all that reading you do, critiquing, blogging, agent hunting, editing, rewriting, reviewing, the workshops, the research, the public speaking, the radio, newspaper, or Internet interviews, oh yeah, and the actual writing. It all counts. I bet you write cheat as much as I do! Why not count it?

So when faced with a block; put down your pen and do some other form of writing that you’re great at, and kick butt! You’re a writer, cheat write dang it.

Of course, don’t make cheating a habit. Only do it when you must. But it is nice to know that you can shove aside your keyboard and still do something “writerly”, no?

Reece says:
...
 Sorry have to come by to find out.  Life's like that!

Hope you join us at Reece's, but before you go, tell me what you to do cheat those writing blocks?

THE CONTEST: Now on top of this!!!

Reece is having a contest.

Holy tractors is this one you want to enter! Trust me he's my crit partner!

***ENTER CONTEST HERE!!!!!***

 Submission guidelines:

1. 500 words minimum, no more than 3,000
2. Double-spaced 12pt Times, Garamond, or Georgia font
3. No profanity, no graphic sex or violence
4. Bonus points for complete action/reaction format. For more information, visit Shallee McArthur's blog.
5. Short stories or chapters from your WIP (or finished books) are welcome.
6. Please no poetry, music, or artwork
7. Only one submission per participant to reece(dot)hanzon(at)gmail(dot)com and include the words "contest submission" in the subject line.
   
   3 kicka prizes: The first place winner gets a free book and a complimentary critique of up to 5,000 words. The books available are: Sabriel, by Garth Nix; I Am Not A Serial Killer, by Dan Wells; Trading in Danger, by Elizabeth Moon; and Skulduggery Pleasant, by Derek Landy. The second place winner gets a critique of up to 3,000 words, and the third place winner gets a critique of up to 1,000 words.

What more can I say? Doesn't a contest like this just give you goosebumps? I just love the homework section. Don't worry it's easy, something all writers should be doing anyway. Well get cracking- get him something to read!