The Second Apocalypse

Miscellaneous Chatter => Writing => Topic started by: Madness on November 30, 2015, 05:10:44 pm

Title: Mark Lawrence Critiques First Pages
Post by: Madness on November 30, 2015, 05:10:44 pm
So Mark Lawrence is critiquing first pages (http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/you-really-want-me-to-critique-you.html) and he's done mine here (http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.ca/2015/11/page-1-critique-wc513-by-mike-hillcoat.html). Too cool and he gave me lots to work with ;D.

I don't know if he's still accepting them (I randomly happened to find out and send him mine like the day after he first posted) but I recommend interested writers submitting.
Title: Re: Mark Lawrence Critiques First Pages
Post by: Camlost on November 30, 2015, 09:45:15 pm
That is too cool! What's the word count for submission?
Title: Re: Mark Lawrence Critiques First Pages
Post by: Madness on November 30, 2015, 10:00:34 pm
Lol - indeed :). He said five hundred initially but I'm fairly sure other people did like "written page" submissions because I feel like mine was one of the shorter pieces (and I pushed it at 513, I think).
Title: Re: Mark Lawrence Critiques First Pages
Post by: Camlost on December 01, 2015, 12:42:35 am
Five hundred words does not seem like a lot of room to get enough information across to hook a reader, but I guess you've got to do it in for first few paragraphs from the feedback Lawrence keeps giving back. Then again, you have to make every word count when you may only have a few of them
Title: Re: Mark Lawrence Critiques First Pages
Post by: Madness on December 01, 2015, 03:41:41 pm
I probably should have gone Chapter 1, Page 1, in hindsight but Prologue, Page 1, gives me insight, regardless.
Title: Re: Mark Lawrence Critiques First Pages
Post by: Camlost on December 01, 2015, 07:52:20 pm
Post for us. Help foster a writer's community. It may only be a few of us posting (admittedly my posts are sporadic and short at best), but lots of people are reading. There is no reason we shouldn't be able to capitalize on the like-minded crowd we have here
Title: Re: Mark Lawrence Critiques First Pages
Post by: Madness on December 01, 2015, 07:57:31 pm
Meh... maybe. Though, I'll gladly send you the first couple chapters.

It's pretty rough, though. Most of it was written before or in the first couple years of university and hasn't really been touched up yet. I did retouch the Prologue, Page 1 when I sent it to Lawrence and, obviously, as per his comments that still needs much work :).
Title: Re: Mark Lawrence Critiques First Pages
Post by: Camlost on December 01, 2015, 08:19:19 pm
His job is to be ruthless. In any case, post what ever you're comfortable with.

I don't mind doing a chapter reading for you on the side though  ;)
Title: Re: Mark Lawrence Critiques First Pages
Post by: Alia on December 01, 2015, 08:20:39 pm
We had something like this in one of our magazines, back at the end of the last millenium ;-) People would send their stories (these were stories mostly) to the magazine and one well-known writer would read them and publish his comments in the next issue. This went like "A.B. from C. - your story is this or that". And since he was a very good writer, his comments were witty and fun to read, even if you never sent him anything.
Title: Re: Mark Lawrence Critiques First Pages
Post by: Madness on December 05, 2015, 07:45:32 am
Lol - there is something special lost in the fall of serial magazines. The medium is just inseparable from the story told.
Title: Re: Mark Lawrence Critiques First Pages
Post by: Madness on November 04, 2017, 03:16:21 pm
Mark Lawrence is offering anonymous critiques of full chapter ones (http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.ca/2017/11/chapter-critique-corner.html) on his blog with the help of some other "able writers."

Good opportunity for any would be writers kicking around.
Title: Re: Mark Lawrence Critiques First Pages
Post by: Madness on November 04, 2017, 07:33:35 pm
Link is down...
Title: Re: Mark Lawrence Critiques First Pages
Post by: Redeagl on November 04, 2017, 08:29:15 pm
Link is down...
You have a curse related to anything Lawrence.
Title: Re: Mark Lawrence Critiques First Pages
Post by: Madness on November 04, 2017, 08:30:14 pm
I see this.
Title: Re: Mark Lawrence Critiques First Pages
Post by: Madness on November 05, 2017, 03:17:29 am
And it's back.