Workshop Rules
Welcome to the SinC-IC Workshop. The Workshop has been made a private area so you can feel free to experiment and try out new techniques without worrying about everyone watching you fall flat on your face. This is your spot to stretch your wings and try something new, or sharpen a skill and polish a work to brilliance. The Workshop is what you make it -- the more you write, the better writer you will become.
Before you jump in and start flexing those writing muscles, there are a few rules we ask you to follow.
Critiques
- Unless you have made other arrangements, works submitted for critique should be limited to approximately 3,000 words. If you wish to post more, contact the Workshop Director.
- Before you request the first critique of your work, you must complete two critiques. This means simply that you must pick two pieces posted and critique them. Don't worry if you don't have any experience critiquing a work -- any suggestions and comments can be helpful. Once you have completed your two initial critiques, the ratio drops to 1:1, that is, for every critique you request, you must complete a critique.
- Be conscious of copyright laws. Although you may download a work to be critiqued at your leisure offline, once your critique is finished, you should delete the work from your computer.
- When posting a work for critique, take a moment to tell a little about the work—the sub-genre (cozy, hardboiled, police procedural, etc.), basic background if you are posting a piece from the middle of the story, and anything else you want the critiquers to know about the work.
- Remember the golden critique rule: critique as you would be critiqued. Everyone has received a harsh critique at some time or another; while you do not have to focus solely on what's good, try to keep your criticism constructive, and couch your suggestions for changes in a positive manner. Derogatory comments will not be tolerated.
- Before you begin your critique, read the submission entirely in order to
gain a general impression. You may wish to read it more than once before
you begin your critique. When reading the submission, you might want to
keep the following checklist of items in mind:
- Did the opening hook grab you immediately?
- Did the characters leap to life for you? If not, why not?
- Was the protagonist(s) an intriguing character? Did you like him/her? If not, why not?
- Was the pacing appropriate? Too slow? Too fast?
- Was there a good balance of narrative and dialogue? Too much of one versus the other?
- Was the setting realistic and convincing?
- Was the point of view consistent?
- Did the dialogue ring true? If not, why not?
- Was backstory presented in a manner that didn't bog down the story?
- Mechanics: were there typos, grammatical errors, too many clichés, etc.?
- There are other items you may wish to add to your personal checklist when you critique. Keep in mind that not all books lend themselves to the same set of critique questions—for instance, cozies usually require readers like the protagonist, while police procedurals may not have a particularly sympathetic protagonist. Remember to tailor your critique questions and comments to the work you are reading.
- To post a work for critique
You may post works up to approximately 3,000 words on the Message Board. Start a new topic, and in the subject line type: TITLE—Critique Wanted. Copy the work from your word processor and paste it into the body of the message.
- To post a critique for a submitted work
To post a critique for a submitted work, start a new topic (do not reply to the topic that has the original work for critique), and in the subject line type: Critique of TITLE. Remember that once you have completed your initial two critiques, you are asked to complete one critique for every work you post for critique.
Some ground rules
Some things to consider when critiquing
Posting
Writing Exercises
Writing exercises will be posted each week. The exercises are not mandatory, but may be helpful and constructive. Exercises are geared to require a minimum of time, and can be completed any time. Post your results to the appropriate discussion on the Message Board. You may feel free to post comments and/or suggestions about other Workshop members' exercise results.
- Writing Discussions
The Workshop is not limited to just critiques and writing exercises -- feel free to start or join a discussion about anything related to the craft of writing. Post your questions, comments, or requests.
- Book in a Week Challenges
Book in a Week (BIAW) information will be posted to the Workshop Message Board when a BIAW has been called.
Between the Covers
Here is a set of tips for what to do when the writing is done but the manuscript is not yet ready for submission to an editor. You'll find answers to your questions about layout, errors to look for, word selection, and much more. There's even a section on what to expect if your manuscript is accepted.
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