Blogs by Glenda A Bixler
Critiques
8/26/2008 1:34:47 PM
Do you wish somebody had never created this word? How do you feel when somebody "critiques" your work? Have you been sorry you asked for a critique?
Thought about doing one
I was asked to critique a "cozy" mystery recently. I'm never quite sure how to approach doing one...so I just start reading and see what happens!
Over my life, I've read more fiction than I'll ever remember. Fiction is done for fun! Anything else requires my full attention to detail--no matter that I'm enjoying the book! Hey, it works for me; try it and see if you just don't have a different attitude when reading fiction!
If I'm reading a fiction book for a review, my greatest compliment to the writer is when I keep on reading the book into my "fun/personal" time!
Now, cozies are special...they are written primarily for fun...primarily for the characters, with a little bit of mystery to solve. And, they normally come in a series so that you build up quite a bit of information about the primary characters--almost as if you know them as friends!
So, I met my new character right away. She had just found a dead body (of course) and introduced the readers into the story quite well, I must say. I was hooked!
How do you feel about hooking your readers? I must admit that I'm one of those who must be hooked within the first few pages. If you haven't got me by then, well...you're in for a struggle to keep me interested. I struggle; You may lose...
In any event I was hooked, and ready to see how this new character solved the murder, which had been so wonderfully introduced!
Now, please realize that I do not share my critiques with anyone other than the author...so it is quite difficult to discuss!
Moving into Chapter Two, I was quite pleased to be the first to be reading the manuscript of possibly a brand new series! Slowly I came to realize that I was no longer having fun--I was caught up in the entire life, it seemed, of my new character. I plodded through, becoming more concerned with the turning of each page. Finally, I found the second reference to the murder (appearing on page 1) on page 91!
My niece was visiting me at the time, doing a little sprucing up of my home--things like papering and painting which I never had a desire to try. She began to wonder, because she saw that I was getting up and down--getting a bottle of water, or stopping to ask her a question. She and I have many discussions over various books, so she asked, "Not going too well?"
Needless to say, she received most of my frustration. For today, I'll just say that "too much of a good thing" is not necessarily good! Indeed, this new character is going to be funny, interesting and a delight to know. But I didn't want to get to know her in the first book! I wanted to know who murdered the guy!
Writers, if you find you have a tendency to write and write and write...do let yourself write. Get it out and on paper! Then, later, go back and decide whether the material is needed to "move this particular story forward." If not, print the material out and file it for use in the future!
Do you like cozies? Normally, they are very light mysteries and the primary character is somewhat of a mystery solver.
If that is your intent, then please make sure your character is seen in this role early in your book (or even early in your second book if she is "growing" into an amateur detective. Readers love clues to follow! Otherwise, we'll lose the thrill of the murder/who-dun-it concept.
~~~
Of course, my critique was done is a very straight-forward manner...not like here, as I attempt to document some of the issues that may be confronted in a critique.
These are rambling thoughts... if anybody has specific questions, please let me know...
Right now, I'm just wondering how well the dear writer accepted my Critique of her manuscript...it's not easy being the bad guy...
God Bless!
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• Starting to Read a New Book - Monday, September 8, 2008
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• Critiques - Tuesday, August 26, 2008
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