How To Critique Your Work

You looked at the title, and said, "That's hard."
The first action, after you have completed it, is
to put aside the work. Read a book you meant to six
months ago, visit friends, make telephone calls, or
start a new topic. The longer projects require more
time away. Why? There is more to sift through,
correct, pull-out. You return refreshed, better able
to spot mistakes.

Check sentence structure. Are your sentences flowing
smoothly? Need a period? Comma? Read it out-loud. This
is how you learn to critique. Read it again, slowly.
Should a stronger verb replace a weaker one? Is a
sentence running on? Could a comma stop a run-on
sentence? Or, is it more effective to make two sentences?
Write like you talk.

Is your article or story dragging? Slice away any paragraph,
sentence, not contributing, or moving the story-line along.
Take a look at my example of bloated words. The door opened,
and the body rolled onto the street. The following heightens
the senses, grabs the attention. It an excerpt from my novel.

"Don't move." The shaved head dare taker told her.

She stayed, cried, and then abruptly stopped.

Silence filled the air. Grave Street House's door slowly
creaked open. The bloody, mutilated body was flung into the
street.

"Help my sister," the young girl cried.

The above is taken directly from my novel, Grave Street House.
See the difference? Save unused paragraphs for another piece
of fiction or non-fiction. They hamper you today, but could
enhance a future work.

The focus from this point will be fiction, book length work.

It is necessary to develop an editor's eye. Yes, you can.
Practice.

I have read books, and critiqued them. It helped me with my
own work. Still, it is harder to find your own mistakes. Again,
put aside finished work, and return to it. You gain a new
perspective. I found cann instead of can in a sentence of mine.
I did not realize the small error until I tucked it away in a
file, and opened it a couple weeks later.

Are the characters believable?

"How do I make my characters real?"

Profile each of them. It includes a speech pattern. A story person
pronounces that as dat? The main character is one that is liked,
readers feel a connection to, or care about. What are the
aspirations? Would anything or anyone stop a character from
reaching goals? Is there something in a personality causing a
character to act a certain way? Looks?

Knead in information sparingly. Let characters show what, who,
they are by interacting with other story people. Characters,
like human beings, have flaws. How many? You answer that
question. The story makes a comment on life through its theme.
It is something people felt, learned, realized after reading
the book. Plot is the problem, and how it unfolds tells the
story. The main character is challenged, at least, three times
before figuring out a solution.

The main character has conflict, struggle. Characters, too, learn
and grow. Show wisdom through a character's behavior. Present a
situation where the character behaves differently, better, or
stronger, for example. In long fiction, more than one problem
exists. All stories have a beginning, middle, and ending. I like
to see the problem happen in chapter one. This is where the
action starts.

Decide on a place and time for your setting. Will it be urban
America, rural area, corporate anywhere? Some writers research
a place they heard about for a setting. Follow the tips on how
to critique your work, and you are on the path to realizing a
goal.

Marcella Glenn is a freelance writer who has spent most of her
life writing. Her work includes dabbling into the world of poetry,
through her collection entitled, Piece Of Life, and participating in
the blogospere. She is no stranger to non-fiction, enjoys a
mix-n-match approach to intermingling characters from fiction,
as seen in her novel, Grave Street House, to non-fiction. She reshapes
them into becoming friends. Yet, they remain on the page awaiting her
next foray into their world.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcella_Glenn

Write Fiction That Grabs Attention

"I'd like to write, but not sure I can." Someone said.

Simply, sit down, write and that's the secret.

Answer the following questions. What problem, plot

will the main character be struggling against? In longer

or book length fiction, writers knead in more than one

problem. For our purposes, the focus is on short fiction.

Unless, you have questions about novel length work?

Submit questions to me. Feel free to comment as well.

Where will the story be told? Will the setting be rural?

A farm that an older sibling wants to sell, but the younger

brother have plans to make it a success. The farm had been

in the family for generations. What lengths will the two go

to in an effort to reach their goals?

Urban America has grounds for all kinds of twists

and turns for a thriller. A wife drove to the market,

noticed the same car that passed her. It had blood

on it. Why? What happened?

Some do research on a place with an appealing name,

or a region of interest.

Make a profile of each character. You have to know

your characters before telling their story.

Profiles include features, aspirations, gender, and

anything else you want in it.

Personally, I like characters to have flaws, and speak

differently from one another.

The following excerpt is from my novel, Grave Street

House. The conversation is between two cousins.

Notice the difference in their speech patterns.

"I gotta dare for ya," Lena boosted.

"No, no way. I'm not doing any dares. I can't

live life on your roller coaster of rushes."

"Ya like 'em as much as I do."

"No way."

"Ya don't have a choice."

"Do too."

Fiction that grabs the attention spills-out the

problem immediately. Show the main's character's

plight. Allow readers to see who characters are

through interaction with other story people, or from

hearing talk, gossip.

"I'm still not sure how to bring a character to life."

You explained.

Think of a person best suited for your story.

Female? Male? Name he, she, or it.

I am going to pick a main character for a short

story. I named her Barbara Stills. The name came

off the top of my head. No, I was looking at water.

I mean as in, spring water or distilled water. Hence,

the name Stills.

Who is she? She reaches four-feet in height,

strong jaw-line, black eyes, red hair, and twenty-

years-old. She lives for now, no future goals.

Thumb through magazines to get an idea of

features for characters. Don't copy, but stir in

your imagination. Draw from life too. In other

words, have you ever seen a person that would

make an excellent character in your fiction?

Never use exact speech patterns, looks, but be

creative.

Barbara Stills grew up in any city, USA. She works

at the Carter Recreational Center during the Summer

months. She is a swimming coach/guard.

Take a look at how Barbara Stills interacts with

others.

"What up, Barb?" A voice came from behind her.

"Lookin' for Tish." She turned to face Jen. "Seen

her?"

"Not since dis mornin' when she was walkin' to the

Center."

"She betta do our dare, or I'll tell everybody she

clucks like a hen. Want in on the dare?"

"Not me." Jen threw up her hands in a surrender

stance.

"Weird-o." Barbara walked away.

Tish works at the Center as well. She arrives

before the children.

Tish is the only child of loving parents. She is

pretty, tries to fit in.

"Hey, Tish." Barbara stopped Tish as she passed

the swimming pool.

"'Member our dare?"

"Don't think it's a good idea."

"Ya shoulda thought of that before outtin' me in

front of people."

"Was a joke."

"Be there, or..."

"You'll harass me?" Tish interrupted.

"Nope." Barbara sat on the edge of the pool.

"I'll be there."

Tish mouthed words, but no sound left her lips.

She stopped, dropped her head, and scurried away.

The aim is to create characters people want to read

about over and over. More importantly, it is nice

when readers want to see more of an author's work.

Writers are required to pour story people in a setting

where conflict lives.

"Boo." Later that day, Barbara sneaked behind Tish

as she stood a few feet from an abandoned house.

"Don't do that!" Tish grabbed at her heart.

"Why ya standin' here?" Barbara laughed.

"Waiting for you."

"Yeah, right." Barbara smirked. "Let's do it."

"Somebody moved across the window."

"Any excuse, Tish. Ya should be scared of the

city's peeps, not old houses."

"You know what happened in there?" Tish took

a deep breath.

"Nope, don't care."

"Eight-year-old killed her parents in there, some

years back. Everyone who lived in the house acted

strange, after it happened"

"What happened in the house has nothin' to do

with us. What the odds a girl, long time ago,

came back to live in the neighborhood where she

murdered her parents?" Barbara rolled her eyes

skyward, and then at Tish.

Barbara dragged Tish, by the arm, closer to the

house.

"Wait." Tish jerked away from Barbara,

stumbled a few feet.

"Scared?"

"We don't have to do this."

"All 'ight," Barbara agreed.

"No, let's go." Tish sighed.

"Ya sure?"

"I'm not going to be bullied by you, and your

friends."

Barbara and Tish paced to the house.

Barbara stepped inside. Tish was on her

heels.

Jen jumped out of the shadows, startled

them. With two quick thrusts, Jen jabbed them

with a butcher's knife.

"Got no right in my father's house."

Fiction that grabs attention will keep people

reading.

(Taken from writingstandard.3steps.com)