Critters^TM Workshop

Weekly Notes

Notes for 05-Dec-2018...

New Release! Supporting the Critters Fund Drive! New Release! Supporting...--

	OFF ON A DREAM AND OTHER MAGICAL REALITIES by Bruce Taylor - $2.99

		ReAnimus Press Store: www.ReAnimus.com/1601
		Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B07L2ZN5QT/?tag=critters3a-20
		 (available in both ebook and paperback [$12.99, 184 pages])
	

For over forty years, Bruce Taylor has been writing stories that defy categorization. Since Bruce had a job working on an in-patient, locked psychiatric floor, he did not have to be concerned about writing to make a living. Indeed how he made his living gave him a wealth of fascinating psychological theory and concepts that literally fed his creativity. Writing for the sheer joy and exuberance of creative expression, his work explored, examined, exhumed the proverbial "human condition" in a broad array of styles until finally realizing what he was doing was not only writing in a style later known as Magic Realism but blending it with Science Fiction and discovering how well the two modes of expression complimented each other. These stories, coming from a particular creative time also reflect the themes of the nature of love, how we become the person we were meant to be, and always the journey into the midnight--of the soul.
 
"Remarkable clarity and insight." 
--Brian Herbert, co-author, the Dune series.
 
"A very gifted, short fiction writer." 
--Jeff VanderMeer, author, The Southern Reach Trilogy
 
"As rich and poetic as Bradbury at his finest." 
--William F. Nolan, author, Logan's Run
 
"The Transformational figure for science fiction." 
--Elton Elliott, former editor of Science Fiction Review

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Thanks for the donations, folks!  Thanks especially to

	Airlie Rose
	Jason Rawlins
	Bret Lynn

for their recent donations to help keep Critters going. Much appreciated!

[See http://www.critters.org/donate.php for more information.]


                                   -+-
Woohoo!  Congratulations to...

	- Amanda H. Geard, who reports "My short story, Detections of
	a Cyborg, got a Silver Honorable Mention in the 4th Quarter of
	the Writers of the Future Contest. I would like to thank all
	those Critters who took the time to critique it, and those who
	continue to critique my work, especially Jeff Cates, for their
	help in improving my writing".


Please report your Woohoo!s via the www.critters.org/telldaworld.ht web page.

                                   -+-

This week's Most Productive Critter award, for 3 critiques (at time
of judging), averaging over 1800 words each, goes to...

	Nadav Ornoy

To redeem an MPC, visit:  www.critters.org/usempc.ht

Congratulations!  To everyone else -- Crit early and often!

(For an explanation of the MPC award, see the www.critters.org/award.ht page.)

                                   -+-

Recommended Reading...
One of the best writing books - Secrets from the 6-time Best Editor
Hugo Award Master, Ben Bova: THE CRAFT OF WRITING SCIENCE FICTION THAT SELLS 
http://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1144
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Critters Workshop
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This week we have... [get from http://www.critters.org/private/mss.php ]...
                                                 
     Title                      	Author
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Week of 5-Dec-2018 (Crits due 12-Dec-2018):
 F   The Guardian's Spear, Chapter 1    [mpc] David Felix -#28160
 SF  Rhubarb Queen                      Kevin P. Hallett -#28161
 SF  The Sixth World _V3_               Larry Rachman -#28162
 SF  Right to Be Forgotten              Emily Randall -#28163
 SF  The Way home - Chapter 1 v.2       Deborah Ross -#28164
 SF  IX Creation                        Steven Fritz -#28165
 F   A Darks Hunger for the Soul        Eric D Littlefield -#28166
 H   The Waves of Dark Second Version   Hernan -#28167
 SF  The Planet of the Dead             [@] Edward Muller -#28168
 F   Soulmates                          Annaliese Lemmon -#28169
 SF  The Abduction Chronicals: Blue Lake Event, Chapters 1-6  D.B. Gibb -#28170

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Recommended books on writing:

THE CRAFT OF WRITING AND SELLING SCIENCE FICTION by Ben Bova
	ReAnimus Press Store: http://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1144
	Amazon: http://Amazon.com/dp/B006MAZPEI

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SPECULATIVE FICTION OPENINGS By (Critter member) Robert Qualkinbush
	http://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1184 | http://Amazon.com/dp/B007O272ZI

STAYIN' ALIVE - A WRITER'S GUIDE by three-time SFWA President Norman Spinrad
	How things really work in the art and commerce of publishing
	http://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1179 | http://Amazon.com/dp/B007SIC4I8

EXPERIMENT PERILOUS: THE 'BUG JACK BARRON' PAPERS by Norman Spinrad
	(A 99cent essay on SF and writing)
	http://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1180 | http://Amazon.com/dp/B007MF3MS8
 
Because you might enjoy it... THE EXILES TRILOGY by BEN BOVA
The best scientists on Earth are exiled to a space station... but they have other plans
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1122
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Pieces up for critique in other workshops...

In the lit workshop - http://critique.org/lit :
 L   Love and Electronics               Larry Rempel -#28127

In the mystery workshop - http://critique.org/mystery :
 T   The Man Next Door Chapter 3 and part of 4  Michelle Richer -#27632

In the nonfiction workshop - http://critique.org/nonfiction :
 NH  Hume and Hutton Ch. 2 This Terrestrial System  Jim Parry -#27970

In the script workshop - http://critique.org/script :
 SC  Johnny Lucid Gets a New Muse       Jerry Sexton -#27889

In the kids workshop - http://critique.org/kids :
 YL  The Edge of Id, Chapters 1-2       D. Warren -#28143
 YP  Beard Wanted                       Michelle Henrie -#28144

In the comics workshop - http://critique.org/comics :
 CG  Metropolise, Chapter 1             Carina Mchardy -#26473

In the western workshop - http://critique.org/western :
 W   A Message to Santa Fe, Chap 1-3    Frank Coombs -#25375

In the romance workshop - http://critique.org/romance :
 R   Blurred Lines Part Two             Michelle Richer -#27476

In the video workshop - http://critique.org/video :
 VS  The Gallery of Henri Beauchamp     Jay DeTalente -#21424

In the music workshop - http://critique.org/music :
 MP  The Shade Riders and Nocturnal Ned song  Beth Zurkowski -#21675

In the photo workshop - http://critique.org/photo :
 PH  Dry Mud and Cinder Cone            Bill Wight -#19627

In the art workshop - http://critique.org/art :
 AH  Art Man, a portrait                Robert J Cleary -#27847

In the website workshop - http://critique.org/website :
 WW  Ax-yZ The Creative Projects Platform  Charles Gull -#27088

In the critters workshop - http://critique.org/critters :
 F   The Guardian's Spear, Chapter 1    [mpc] David Felix -#28160
 SF  Rhubarb Queen                      Kevin P. Hallett -#28161
 SF  The Sixth World _V3_               Larry Rachman -#28162
 SF  Right to Be Forgotten              Emily Randall -#28163
 SF  The Way home - Chapter 1 v.2       Deborah Ross -#28164
 SF  IX Creation                        Steven Fritz -#28165
 F   A Darks Hunger for the Soul        Eric D Littlefield -#28166
 H   The Waves of Dark Second Version   Hernan -#28167
 SF  The Planet of the Dead             [@] Edward Muller -#28168
 F   Soulmates                          Annaliese Lemmon -#28169
 SF  The Abduction Chronicals: Blue Lake Event, Chapters 1-6  D.B. Gibb -#28170
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You might also like... THE ASSASSINATION OF BILLY JEELING by BRIAN HERBERT
From the NYTimes Bestselling author of the DUNE series comes a spectacular science fiction novel.
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1596

Standard notes:

HELP:
If you need help with anything, see http://www.critters.org/help -- there
are FAQs and a form to ask questions.

HELPING CRITTERS:
Critters is donation funded & volunteer run, so if you'd like to
help out with our current fund drive or otherwise, please visit
http://www.critters.org/donate.php -- Thanks!!

HOW TO SEND CRITIQUES:
Remember to send the critiques directly to me, critters@critique.org, so
I can forward them to the authors _and_ give you credit for your effort.
Please send only one critique per mail message (makes it easier to
archive).  Please make sure the "#" symbol and manuscript number are in
the email Subject: line, like Subject: #1234.  (Conversely, if you want
ol' Aburt to personally read the message, i.e., it's _not_ a critique,
don't put a "#" in the subject or I won't see it.  Also -- put my current
anti-spam code word in there: see http://www.critters.org/antispam.ht .)

You may also send your critiques via http://www.critters.org/webcrit.ht .

Note that all critiques will be available to everyone to read the next Saturday.

DIPLOMACY:
Remember, authors and critiquers, we're all friends here.  Be polite.  Be
considerate.  Be tactful.  You can say you thought a story was drivel in a
courteous way.  Try to point out the good and the bad; offer alternatives
if you can.  Never, ever, attack the author -- only the story.  Authors:
Remember that some reviewers may lack tact.  Try to be understanding,
but if you get any that you feel are just plain mean-spirited, too short
to be of any use, or too "feel good," let me know and I'll withhold the
reviewer's "credit" for that story and/or cajole them into something
more insightful.  See http://www.critters.org/diplomacy.ht for more...

CRITIQUE LENGTH:
If you want to send a short critique that you know is too short for
credit (200 words or less of your own meaningful content) please put
"NC#" in the Subject (NC=No Credit, like Subject: NC#1234) -and- say
something like "not for credit" inside your critique.  (Remember also that
for MPC purposes, a critique must be 300 words or more.)

CHATTING:
Comments -other- than critiques (such as discussion of the critiques,
or Woohoo! announcements, or chit chat) should be posted to one of the
official Critters discussion forums (See the http://www.critters.org/newsgroups.ht
web page for full info, guidelines, etc.)  Don't post stories or critiques
(mail those to critters@critique.org).

QUOTING:
Please pare the ms. down if critiquing in-line (don't quote the whole ms.!).
Other format rules are at http://www.critters.org/format.ht .

EVERYTHING'S ON THE WEB:
Past reviews are on the web page.  The current week's manuscripts are
also there, as are prior mss. and even some rewrites.  There's a Master
Page Index (site map) with tons of links to common items.

AUTHORS:
Authors for this week -- if you aren't getting email'd critiques from
me (as they come in) within a couple days -- ask me and we can verify
I'm sending them to the correct address.  (Send me a phone# in case I
can't get email to you.)  Check the format of your story ASAP to make sure
it's all there and readable.

EMAIL ISSUES:
If you want to change your email address or preferences (# mss. emailed,
SF/F/H type, or whether you get the huge critique batches at week's end),
point your browser to http://www.critters.org/admin.ht .  Please don't
ask me to do this by hand, it's quite a chore!  (E.g., if you're going
on vacation and want to suspend mail from me -- do this before/after
your trip.)

BACKUP SITE:
If you're unable to reach www.critters.org to get manuscripts, I've set up
an emergency backup site at http://backup.critters.org where you can get the
week's manuscripts (but not much of anything else :-).  Speaking of backups --
don't forget to back up your own manuscripts so you don't lose them!

QUITTING:
If you want to quit or go inactive, drop by http://www.critters.org/admin.ht .

DONATIONS:
Critters is funded by donations, so visit http://www.critters.org/donate.php
if you'd like to help out.

Because you might enjoy it... THE EYE IN THE STONE by ALLEN L. WOLD
A quick family visit turns into a magical battle between good and evil
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1391

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