A place to post your work… get it read… get some feedback… and/or, find something fresh and interesting to read.
Or just maybe… get discovered.
There are many ways to grow as a writer. On my journey, one of the most enlightening, empowering and affirming of all the available learning modes has been to read and critique the work of unpublished authors.
That’s right — unpublished authors.
Unless you belong to a critique group, pretty much anything you read has already been published. Which means it’s been through the grind of agents and editors at several levels. If there was a mistake or a weakness in the original version, chances are it’s been found and fixed.
Which, in turn means, you really don’t learn much as a reader.
At that point, it either works for you or it doesn’t.
This truism is softened somewhat by the proliferation of self-published work via Kindle and the other digital venues. but even then, chances are the work has been vetted to some degree.
Why This Is An Important Opportunity For You
Sometimes the infrastructure of a story is invisible to the unschooled eye of the reader. Unless, of course, they’ve been exposed to the nuts and bolts of story architecture, in which case uneven and poorly structured work virtually screams out at you.
It’s like wine tasting. Some people say they know the good stuff when they taste it… but how many really do? And how many can describe what’s missing?
Same with writing. As writers, we need to strive to become practicing sommeliers of our craft. What we pour out needs to be as vetted, polished and finely aged as what we read. And for that to happen, we need to practice taste-testing as much as possible, something we can’t objectively do on our own work.
As writers we need to know what to look for. We need to recognize it in what we read before we can execute it in our own work.
That’s the mission of this website. Then, when we see it — either executed well, or not — we affirm our own grasp of these concepts. The more you study story architecture (all six core competencies that comprise it), the more quickly and easily you’ll spot it — or notice that it’s off the mark — on the page.
Published work rarely affords us that opportunity.
But that is about to change… right here, right now.
Because now you can read the serious work of your peers — unpublished — to test your eye for story architecture and solid writing in general. And, you can add value to these courageous writers by providing them direct feedback right on the page from which you’ve read it.
Or, you can become one of those courageous writers yourself by posting your work here and exposing it to the feedback of your peers.
The Storyfix Peer Review Page is up and running.
There are a handful of high-quality manuscripts already posted.
CLICK HERE to read them and, if you choose, add your feedback (select from a menu of available postings, then click-through to the Author page to read the submission; all rights remain with the author, including Copyright; this posting does not constitute publication, per se, but rather, a private-venue sharing of work for feedback purposes).
No charge for reading and commenting by the way. Duh.
If you’d like to learn more about this opportunity, CLICK HERE to go to the Peer Review Welcome page.
If you’d like to submit your work, CLICK HERE to see how.
There is a nominal one-time charge for my admin time (a whopping $25), since formatting and page linking is required.
I encourage you to participate at both ends of this opportunity. And, to share it with your fellow writers.
Who knows… one of the readers here may be an agent, editor or producer… because I’m going to announce and promote this page to them with great urgency and enthusiasm. There’s already some stellar work on display here, and more is certainly on the way.
Added August 20 — the first pages from a completed novel by Jennifer Vaughn.
Added August 19 — partial from a YA/Fantasy novel by Luisa Perkins.
Added August 18 — a short story (women’s military fiction) by Fiona Mackenzie.
Added August 15 — work by Martha Miller, Dave Monroe, Jennifer Blanchard, and Donna Lodge.
16 Responses
Larry, may we post your invitation and links on our FB pages, or do you prefer to initiate such things yourself? I know a number of writers who would benefit from participating.
This is wonderful! In June, I read Story Engineering. I then pulled apart my whole novel and read your book again! I see the structure of stories everywhere now — plot points in cloud formations. Near the late summer garden, I question the resolution of the climax between the goldenrod, the purple cornflower and the wild mint. I love reading other writers and I welcome comments on work in progress. I hope this goes for awhile, till I get a get a chance to read and comment.
UPDATE on the PEER REVIEW PAGE… when this launched earlier this week there were four stellar pieces of work for your review. If you haven’t read and commented on them, I encourage you to do so. I’ve worked closely with at least two of those authors on these projects, and I think they’re ready for primetime.
Since then three more manuscripts have come in and are up and ready for your helpful input.
I can’t stress enough how empowering this is on BOTH sides of the proposition. When you know your story architecture stuff — or, are learning it — and you see it on a page that isn’t yours, you recognize what works and what doesn’t in a different, clearer way… a way that hits you hard and with empowering validation.
This is a bit of a karma thing, too… let’s help our peers grow, let’s participate in their journey, and let’s all get better in the process. Thanks for playing! L.
VERY cool and generous of you, Larry. I just sent you my submission, and I look forward to reading the work of others who are posting.
Great idea Larry:)
For some reason I can’t find Fiona’s work on the Peer Review Page.
I have published a non-fiction book, and some devotional pieces, but my first love is fiction (unpublished). Does that disqualify me, or may I post?
Hey Larry, sounds great. Sorry, I haven’t replied to your e-mail. I’ve been super busy. Can’t participate at the moment, but good luck with this and let us know how it goes!
OMG! OMG! OMG! Proofing first 5,000 words of current horror novel in progress, Sinister, at this time. Thank you, Mr. Brooks! Again and with deep sincereity, Thank You!
Lake
Wow! I was actually hoping to find something like this. I’ve been following your blog for a year now, great stuff! I have a lot to thank you for. Looking back at the stuff I’ve written a year ago, I can figure out how much I’ve grown(Not much by professional standards, but I think it’s a significant leap for me). So again, thank you.
My problem now is mainly that I do not have people whom I can trust to give me honest feedback about my work. Perhaps one or two friends, they’ve helped me alot, but what I am writing doesn’t really fit with what they like to read. Thus their input is limited.
Currently I am living in Romania, so there are few people that can critique what I write properly. This is just what I needed and I am sure I’m not the only one who feels that way. I cannot wait to start! Best of luck to all of us!
Hi Larry!
Love this idea! I’m in. Going to read some submissions first and then add one of my own. I need some feedback on my current novel as it is a genre that I have never written in.
Best,
Amy
@Patricia — thanks, you’re right, that one slipped through. Fixed now (fingers crossed). “-” L.
Larry, congratulations on the launch of your Peer Review Page, an exciting addition to an already terrific web site/blog. Thanks for posting “Canary.” The PRP adds a unique opportunity to submit and critique fiction through the “Story Engineering” filter.
Not ready for review yet either. Noticed Jennifer’s story doesn’t have a link.
This sounds like the logical next step for your site to take. It’s perfect. I also don’t have work quite ready for review, but it shouldn’t be too long for me to get there. I look forward to seeing how this new feature works out!
This is really exciting! I don’t have any works that I’d want to put up there (yet?), but I’ll be sure to read and post comments when I can.
Great idea, Larry. I appreciate your willingness to promote community and build stronger authors.
I wondered if something along these lines is what you meant. I don’t have anything I consider ready to post but will be following this with great interest and perhaps throwing out critiques if I can find the time.
Exciting stuff.