McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

Critque

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LizW65:
Second draft here.  I do have a checklist, a copy of which I've provided.  It's tailored to my project and what I believe are its particular strengths and weaknesses, but anyone here is welcome to use as much of it as he/she wishes:
CRITIQUE CHECKLIST FOR BETA READERS--LIZ'S WORK IN PROGRESS

*  Does story have flow?  Do individual scenes hang together in a cohesive way?

*  What can be done to make first chapters more gripping, esp. to agents and publishers?

*  Are characters engaging?  Which ones do you like/dislike and why?  Is each character's "voice" individual enough?

*  Is narrator's story sufficiently compelling and purpose-driven?  If not, how can this be improved upon?

*  Does the overall plot make sense?  Is the solution too obvious/not obvious enough?

*  Any plot holes you can drive a truck through?  Inconsistencies of plot/character/continuity?  Explain.

*  Do any characters behave in ways that are TSTL (too stupid to live) or that seem out-of-character?

*  Are characters' motivations clear and consistent (except where deliberately ambiguous)?

*  Which scenes "work" for you and which don't?  Why?

*  Any glaring anachronisms or factual errors?  How can the time period/setting be more clearly delineated?

*  Is the story suspenseful?  Does it have a sense of urgency and build to a climax?  What do you suggest to improve on this?

*  Is there sufficient balance between action and exposition?  First and third person scenes?

*  Is the overall tone consistent?  What do you find jarring and why?

*  Overall, does the story hold your attention?  Do you care about protagonists and what happens next?

*  Is the format clear, consistent, and easy to read?  Any unintentional spelling/grammar errors?

*  What can be cut without sacrificing plot/character?

*  Do you believe story is potentially marketable as first in series?

pathele:
Thanks, Liz for the checklist. It's great. I will, I think, be adapting it to my current work.

Thanks everyone else for their input. 

-paul

meg_evonne:

--- Quote from: seekmore on August 20, 2009, 11:14:41 PM ---When I've completed my first draft(which in actuality is hundreds of tiny drafts fitted together...I'm kind of anal about it), I have three people I send it to:

My brother: critical, a perfectionist, well-read
My mother: good with language, and great with a red pen
My friend: critical, unforgiving, and a good story-teller

Once they shoot holes through it, the second draft begins.
--- End quote ---

*Raise my glass in toast*  May we all have the three above! *clink*

Great checklist Liz!  Thank you for posting!

thausgt:
Sometimes I use critiques to get around writer's block. The story flows from my head to the screen (or, occasionally, the notebook) up to a particular point, then stops. Sometimes I can't restart it, so I'll show it to my long-suffering fiancee or a few other friends and see what they make of it. Occasionally, they point out something missing or in the wrong order or whatnot, and that gets my creative juices flowing again.

In that context, the story is kind of like a literal program, 'hanging' because of an error. In other cases, they're able to ask questions that hadn't occurred to me, considering which helps me approach the block from a different perspective and therefore getting past it.

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