So it's only been two days but I feel as if I have been on a huge learning curve. I am absolutely determined to read every single entry and give it a grade. Here's what I've learned so far.
- Everyone who has submitted is very brave. I have the utmost respect for anyone who has put their work out there for the world to comment on.
- Now I understand the premise of having a REALLY good first line. Something that makes you sit up and take notice. Something that throws you into the start of the story straight away. I'm not too good at first lines and it's definitely something I could work on.
- Funnily enough, now I understand the premise of having a really good last line, or 'hook'. I've got to the end of some chapters and screamed NO! I want to read more! I've also read some last lines that totally intrigued me and made me want to turn the page. I also read some last lines and thought HUH? is that it?
- Backstory dump is a disease that is widespread and is in danger of becoming an epidemic. I always find it so much easier to see this in someone else's work than my own.
- Getting the hero and heroine on the page together as soon as possible is the most important element of the story. No excuses. I don't want pages and pages of blah blah blah I want to see them reacting to each other and I want to see the conflict.
- I'm not a huge fan of historicals or paranormals but I've read a few chapters here that I've really enjoyed. I mainly only buy historicals from Michelle Styles and Michelle Willingham as they live in blogland quite a lot, have lots of good advice and show support to all aspiring writers. But I've found some chapters that have sparked my interest and made me curious. That can only be good.
- My crit partner Nancy, helped me immensely with my punctuation and grammar, she practically held my hand. Some submissions could do with a little hand-holding themselves.
- Some chapters SPARKLE. I don't want to show favouritism but Rachael and Jackie's ROCK. You know when you read something and just think Wow! well if you haven't read them yet ladies, then go and hunt them down.
- Names. I want to give comments on what I've read, I want it to be constructive criticism or praise. I also want to vote honestly. When I registered I wasn't sure if people would know who had given them what % vote, and I don't want to offend some of the brave soldiers, so I am currently voting under an alternative pseudonym that I've used when writing. And to be honest, now I feel a bit crap about it.
- Now I really feel for the Editors when they read through the slush pile. In a way I think I can understand. You don't know what genre or style you're getting, or the standard of everyone's writing but you read anyway. Then if something stands out from the crowd you just KNOW it. And it terrifies me, because I'm not sure if any entry I put in would do that.
So there we go, after two days that's what I've learned so far. What about you?
