Read for Relief

Hopefully you've heard about Read for Relief, which is an auction to fund Hurricane Irene relief brought about by the wonderful Sarah Enni, Tracey Neithercott, Erin Bowman, and Caroline Richmond.

The auctions have already begun, so head on over and see what kind of awesome you can snag.  There are manuscript critiques, books, and all sorts of goodness over there.

Tomorrow an auction will go live for a Super Critique Package from me, Alicia, Erinn, Pam, Quita, and Katharine!  We've teamed up to bring you a kick-butt critique package that includes:

1 query critique: Pam Harris
1 synopsis critique (1-2 page limit): Holly Dodson
1 first pages critique (10-15 page limit): Marquita Hockaday
1 first 50 pages critique: Alicia Gregoire
1 full manuscript critique: Katharine Owens (Detailed Crit.)
1 full manuscript critique: Erinn Manack (Big Picture Issues)

SO, make sure you head over and check out everything that's being offered every day this week!  After all, it's for a good cause. 

A huge thanks to all the ladies who have worked so hard to set this up.

Beta Anxiety

I tend to warn people before I ever agree to critique their work: I'm a heavy-handed commenter.  Just because you see a bunch of track changes marks should not scare you.  I comment on the good as well as what could use work.

But it's inevitable -- the moment I hit send on that email containing my notes and the marked up MS, I start to worry.  Not about the comments I made so much as the way they will be received.

I always, always try my hardest to put comments nicely, helpfully.  I would never intentionally be rude or overbearing to someone I'm working with -- ever.  Then that niggling doubt in the back of my mind creeps forward and harasses me again. "She's going to hate you.  You've scared her off for good this time."

Then I bite my fingernails until the writer comes back after reading my notes.  And it always turns out fine.

Still, I'm the anxious beta.  It gets better the more I work with my steady betas -- I know they expect my plethora of comments, and I know it won't overwhelm them.  But it doesn't seem to matter, every time I send another file off that anxiety trickles back in.

What about you guys?  Do you have beta anxiety?

Help Write Now

Tomorrow marks the opening of the bidding for items to benefit storm victims who have been devastated over the last two weeks.  Kate Hart is heading up the auction at Help Write Now, which is featuring everything from signed books to manuscript critiques to swag and web design.

All proceeds from the auction are being donated to the Red Cross, so make sure you go check it out when bidding goes live!

A few friends and I have joined up to donate a pretty awesome critique package, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Most importantly, this is going to help people who really need it right now.  A big thanks to Kate and the other organizers for putting this together.  I'm constantly surprised by the offerings of help and outpouring of love from the YA community when people are in need.  It's great to be a part of such a caring group of people.  <3

Crits for Water

Crits for Water is being hosted by Kat Brauer from March 31st - June 31st

The idea is that for every $1 you donate to Crits for Water, Kat will critique 250 words from your MS.

She has also got some special guest critiquers (which work on a different scale for donations).  You can see the list HERE, but some of the names included are Susan Dennard, Joanna Volpe, Sara Kendall, The Rejectionist, and many more!

Charity: Water is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to bringing clean water to the estimated 1 billion people on earth who do not have access to it, and all donations go directly to the field.  A super worthy cause, wouldn't you say?

This is a huge opportunity for you to make a difference in someone's life, and still benefit from it!

Who's The Ninja?

 

 

 

 

Today the ninja brings us a query and synopsis critique for you, my lovelies!

First follower to comment with their email address wins! 

 

Super Spawn and the Deathly Hallows

I have no book review for you this week.

Excuses:  Super Spawn has been sick.  Deathly Hallows comes out Friday and I just HAD to re-read the book before I could see it.  I'm in revising heaven with the most awesome critique partner ever, and the best WIP I've ever written and just. can't. put it down.

But now I feel inclined to write a little ditty about Super Spawn and the Deathly Hallows because that sounds SO intriguing.  lol


It has been such an awesome week.  I'm going to take a moment to thank Susan for her enthusiastic support and friendship, not to mention her stellar critiques.

Also, I'd like to thank everyone who commented on yesterdays post.  It's something that I wouldn't ever wish on a person, and I hope one day something I say can help someone either get out, or deal with the after effects of the situation.

You are all wonderful, and thank you so much for the support and kind words.  Really.  It means a lot.

Okay, get over here!  Group hug!

Critique Party #8

Remember - I'm moderating the comments. This is meant to help one another, so be nice.

Our goal is to help each writer make their page stronger.

Dear Dream Agent,

Fourteen-year-old Mandy Samkirk is the only person who can return light to the world, but she isn’t sure she wants to.

Mandy’s parents have been keeping secrets. Not only is Mandy a marvel – complete with magical powers – but she is being forced to leave her life and friends behind for some ridiculous boarding school. How cliché.

When Mandy’s father is murdered right before her eyes, she is thrust into the heart of a battle she never knew existed. The marvel world is under siege by Temne – who consume light, or your inherent goodness – causing the world to get darker. The days creep by until the earth is covered in perpetual darkness, and death is certain for all.

Legend says there is only one who can bridge the gap between magical and non-magical beings to restore harmony to the precarious balance of good and evil. This harmony holds the key to restoring light to the decaying planet.

Even with the fate of humanity resting on her shoulders, Mandy isn’t sure she can face the villain she loves.

When battle is imminent, Mandy finds the courage to make a decision she never expected.

Emerald’s Keeper, a YA Paranormal novel, is complete at 61,000 words. I believe it will appeal to fans of Aprilynne Pike’s Wings as well as Holly Black’s Tithe.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Holly Dodson

Critique Party #7

Remember - I'm moderating the comments. This is meant to help one another, so be nice.

Our goal is to help each writer make their page stronger.

*A note about this page: The story is set in England and the author has used British spellings.*

Butterfly With Broken Wings, a contemporary YA novel by Laura Dunks

Time machines. If I could invent one, I’d hop in and go back to the days when things were simple. When I knew what came next.

You know when you become stuck on autopilot and the days go by so fast you don’t even stop to think? Then you wake up one day and realise that everything is about to change, but you aren’t ready? You haven’t even begun to prepare.

How was this worse than the changes every teenager must face? The truth was, I didn’t know. This time seemed different. A strange sensation nagged me every time I stopped to think. Things would never be the same.

So what did I, Amelia Jane Wright, do when life threw me so much uncertainty that I wanted to jump into bed, pull the covers over my head, and never wake up?

I relived amazing memories and dreamed of the future.

My best friend Gina and I lay on our stomachs on her bed watching our favourite old home movie - a compilation made by my dad. In the grainy video we were three-years-old, holding hands, and jumping into muddy puddles, to see who could make the biggest splash.

I rolled to face her. “You wanna like skip school tomorrow?”

She snorted. “You say that every summer.”

“Tomorrow our lives will be ruled by exams and gossip.”

She rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.”

Although we were at the same school, Gina was fourteen and a year above me.

She beamed at the television and fiddled with her glasses. “I love this part.”

Critique Party #6

Remember - I'm moderating the comments. This is meant to help one another, so be nice.

Our goal is to help each writer make their page stronger.

[Contact Info]

Dear Dream Agent,

I'm seeking representation for THE SPIRIT-HUNTERS, a young adult steampunk complete at 80,000 words.

When her brother vanishes at the train station, Eleanor Fitt – a stubborn and naïve young lady-of-leisure – must leave the confines of corsets and courtesy to get him back.

It's 1876, and Philadelphia is hosting the Centennial Exhibition. It's also hosting rancid corpses that refuse to stay dead. When one of those decomposing bodies delivers a hostage note for Eleanor's scholarly brother, she resolves to do anything to get him back. But to face the armies of Dead that have him, she'll need a little help.

The Spirit-Hunters, a three-man team hired to protect the Centennial Exhibition, have different backgrounds and different skills, but they work together under a single goal: return the Dead to where they belong. Yet, what had begun as an easy job with only a handful of shambling bodies has escalated beyond the teams' abilities, and time is running out. Whoever rules the Dead is losing control of his power, and when the leash finally snaps, Philadelphia will be overrun with ravenous corpses.

From the steampunk lab of the Spirit-Hunters to the emptied cemeteries of Philadelphia, Eleanor must follow the clues – and the bodies – to find her brother and stop the Dead before it's too late.

I'm an active member of RWA, SCBWI, the Online Science Fiction and Fantasy Workshop, and YALitChat. I avidly read your blog daily [or insert some relevant comment for specific agent...] Thanks so much for your time.

Best regards,

Susan Dennard

A Saturday Hello

I do hope you are all enjoying the Critique Party! There have been some really excellent comments for these writers. Thank you all for participating. Next week we have three more critiques: two queries, and one more first page.

After that we'll go back to the regular schedule again. Though, if you guys have enjoyed/learned from this I may do it again.

Have a good weekend, lovelies! I'm off to do some writing.

Critique Party #5

Remember - I'm moderating the comments. This is meant to help one another, so be nice.

Our goal is to help each writer make their page stronger.

Ordinary Life of the Insect Collector, a YA mystery novel by Katharine

It’s only spring, but because it’s a clear day and late afternoon, it’s already hot. The sun casts a shadow in front of me as I crouch on the ground over the creature. My friend Liza sighs, for the second time, and fusses around next to our bikes. She’s getting impatient, but I don’t care. I can only focus on the insect.

“Bea, can you please hurry up?” Liza calls. “Some guys are coming down the street— they look like college kids, and I would rather not come off as a total freak, okay?”

“Nice, Liza,” I answer, “that is really a phenomenal way to treat one of your closest friends. If you don’t stop, I’ll wait until they’re right next to us and make myself look even weirder.”

“Is that even possible?” Liza says. She knows it’s no use: I’ll be ready when I’m ready. “Seriously, though, they’re cute,” Liza adds with a whine, dragging out the “u” in cute.

We were biking home from school when I insisted on stopping at the lot. It’s a sandy area, surrounded by a chain link fence, with a few patches of grass. The lot is completely undeveloped, which is almost unheard of around here. It’s technically private property, but everyone in the neighborhood uses it. There are often people throwing balls to dogs, or a few college kids hanging out and smoking cigarettes. I like it because you can find bugs you wouldn’t see in other places, because of the open spaces and sandy soil.

When we arrive, I put the kickstand down on my bike and walk back and forth across the sandy areas as Liza and I talk. I make my fourth pass, it’s going to be my last, and then I spot it: the cow killer.

Critique Party #4

Remember - I'm moderating the comments. This is meant to help one another, so be nice.

Our goal is to help each writer make their page stronger.

Falling to Normal, a contemporary YA novel by Alicia Gregoire.

For years, I had envisioned my juvie release under various scenarios: fanfare, nonexistent diplomatic immunity, and the detention center’s spontaneous combustion to name a few, but never as part of something so routine as scheduling my annual holiday retreat. I sat in Director Lady’s state-approved office with my uncle, Andy, to discuss my two full days away with the LaSalle clan. My mother’s brother had been my guardian for the last four and a half years. Not that he had an opportunity to flex guardian muscle since for the entire duration I was locked up for one life-altering mistake.

That mistake temporarily escaped my mind while I wrapped my head around the fact that that I was – for lack of a better term –no longer a ward of the State.

I looked at Andy, who nodded once. He sat next to me, both of us across from Director Lady’s way-too-cluttered metal desk. He wore what he called “business casual,” which meant khakis and no tie. His dark auburn hair was combed back, but overdue for a haircut; it made his face look gaunter. The director and I were both in jeans – mine the worse for wear. She also had on sandals with no socks. In December. In New England. During a Nor’easter.

Since departure was in my very near future, I forgave the terrible shoe choice.

“I’m done?” The giddiness in my voice ruined the calm I tried to project. Damn.

“In a week. The paperwork needs to be processed and we want you to ease in,” she said. “This is a probation period, Cheyenne. Your therapist has voiced his concerns regarding this move.”

Critique Party #3

Remember - I'm moderating the comments. This is meant to help one another, so be nice.

Our goal is to help each writer make their page stronger.

Shadow Falls, a commercial YA novel by Anonymous

It all started at the corner of Main and Spring. I’d managed to catch the longest light in town, but even that couldn’t bring me down. I’d just bought the perfect dress and I had it on good authority that Trent Jackson, the cutest boy at Creekside High School, was going to ask me to the school luau tomorrow.

So there I was, sitting in the car, staring at the lavender blue hydrangeas, picturing Trent’s face when BAM!

My hand and knee flew forward, and my torso was jerked back by the seatbelt. My other foot slid off the brake pedal and my vehicle slid violently into the one in front of me before I could find the right rectangle to push again.

I’d never been in a wreck before, so I had no idea what to do. As I finally started getting my bearings again, I figured I should probably exit the vehicle and check for damages. Shadow Falls was so small, I also figured Pete, one of our two local cops, would be here in less than two minutes to start writing up whoever had plowed into the back of me. I unfastened my seatbelt and opened the door.

My legs were shaking as I stood up, and I actually felt a little dizzy. The noise had been so loud and unexpected. I could still hear it.

“Sh-t!” a tenor voice came from behind me. “Hey, I’m really sorry. Sh-t!”
I turned around to see a guy in faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt walking up.

Critique Party #2

Remember - I'm moderating the comments. This is meant to help one another, so be nice.

Our goal is to help each writer make their page stronger.

The Devil's Utopia, a YA dystopian novel by Amanda Plavich

Whispers have been flying between the mouths and ears of the Forsaken all day, but I’ve done well to stay away from the talk. I’m as intrigued about the outsider as anyone, but don’t see much point in generating hushed theories behind cupped hands. It’s a waste of time considering I’ll be able to see the truth with my own eyes in a matter of minutes.

I’m the first one assigned to serve the outsider in his cell, which is typical. I’m beginning to think Frau Griselda wants me to die of a heart attack, but then she’ll be short a kitchen hand. She probably just wants a good, hard laugh at my expense.

I hate her.

“What do you think it’s like?” Felix asks as I stare into the darkness of the stairwell.

“I don’t want to think about it.”

I twist to face him and watch while he slaps mayonnaise onto a thick slice of bread. It strikes me how odd it is to have the entrance to the dungeon in the middle of the kitchen. But why not, I guess?

A couple of younger Forsaken take a few steps into the kitchen, but as soon as they spot Felix, they gasp and scurry off. He chuckles, but I can’t help feeling sorry for them. Felix is kind, especially for a Cherished, but we’re taught to stay invisible when his type are near.

“I’ve heard outsiders have five arms and are so dumb they’re practically drooling.” His words jar my thoughts away from the young ones. I stare as he brings his sandwich to his lips and takes a large bite. My mouth waters a bit as I haven’t eaten anything that looked that good in a while.

Critique Party #1

Remember - I'm moderating the comments. This is meant to help one another, so be nice.

Our goal is to help each writer make their page stronger.


Reliance, a contemporary YA novel by Sarah Enni.

I jerk forward when Dad cranks the U-Haul’s emergency break to keep the piece of junk from rolling back down the street. I don’t have the energy to rag on the broke-down old truck. I’m too distracted by the one-story rambler outside my window. It’s brown, just like the patches in the lawn, just like the dusty ground at the end of the street, just like the 360-degree view from any given place in this God-forsaken West Texas town.

“It’s not too late,” I say, not looking at Dad.

“Not too late for what?” He sounds tired. It took 23 hours to get here from Santa Cruz and he didn’t let me drive for a half second of it.

“To get a place of our own. In California. Oregon, even. Someplace where there’s a body of water closer than a state or a country away.”

Dad sighs. He’s been doing that a lot lately. I know my nagging gets to him but all this stuff has been hard on me too. And I’m only saying it’s our last chance because, well, it is.

“Poppy, we’ve been over this.” Now it’s my turn to sigh. Dad rubs my shoulder. I don’t look around. “You’re not a kid anymore. You need to have a woman in your life to teach you things.”

I look at him. Dad’s scraggly beard is a lot more salt than pepper these days. His face looks like an ill-fitting mask that has started sagging in all the important places.

“You did fine with the period stuff,” I say to get a smile out of him. It works, but turns to a grimace.

Friday Fun

Wow, Friday again already!


Make sure you get your page in for the Community Critique Party by 5pm EST today! I've gotten some really great submissions, so come with your critical eye, ready to help your fellow authors out!

How it's going to work:

I've got posts scheduled to show up at 8am each day. Read through it and post anything you feel could be improved on, questions you feel need to be addressed, etc in the comments. Keep it nice! I will be moderating the comments, and I will not allow any snark! We want to be positive and helpful.

Don't forget -- along with the things that need improvement, comment on the things you really like about the page. It is just as important to point out the things that are working as the things that aren't.

Let's do this thang! hehe

*Just a note: For the sake of continuity I'm rounding everyone's one page subs to about 250 words. It won't be exact, but then at least all the posts will be relatively the same length.*

Mommy Monday- When I Grow Up

When I was a kid I used to tell people I wanted to be a mommy when I grew up. Then in about middle school I decided I wanted to be a Pediatric Oncologist. Then an Explorer in the rain forests in Bangladesh, an Oceanographer, and a Marine Biologist.


In High School I thought maybe I wanted to be a teacher. In college I had NO IDEA. I majored in Philosophy and minored in English. As if I would EVER find use for a Philosophy degree.

Now, at twenty five years old, I have finally figured out what I *really* want to do with my life. I want to write.

So, what's the point? You know this, right?

I'm just being sentimental and imagining all the things Super Spawn is going to want to be when he grows up. I hope that I can inspire him to follow his deepest dreams and never give up.

The dream I held to my whole life was fulfilled just over three years ago when he came into my life. Now I have another dream to work towards, along with the dreams my own dream-come-true creates.

Isn't life amazing sometimes?

Don't forget about the Community Critique Party! Send your one page submissions to Holly (at) hddodson (dot) com with Community Critique Party in the subject line! You have until Friday at 5pm EST to get them in.

Community Critique Party

Alright, peeps, here's what we're going to do.

Starting today I'm going to open up the floor for submissions for a community critique party. (Party makes it sound way more fun.) You may submit a maximum of 1 page -- ONE PAGE -- for critiquing. It can be your query letter, your first page, your short synopsis, anything. It can be a random scene from the middle of the book that you're struggling with. Although, if that is the case include a few lines to lead us into it. Also include your genre, and let's keep it to YA, MG stuff. I think that is what most all of us write anyway, right?

I'm putting on my serious face here.

See? That's me serious.

Now, you may email your submission to me at Holly (at) hddodson (dot) com. In the subject line you MUST put Community Critique Party. Absolutely no attachments will be opened. If you can't follow my directions, well, you don't get to participate. Paste the page you'd like to have critiqued in the body of your email.

There's a catch -- and I know, it's mean of me, but it's my game so I get to make the rules. If you submit a page, you are required to also critique the other submissions. Not all of them, but at least a couple. Also, no snark. I will not hesitate to pull any rude comments down. This is to be a helpful critique session, not a snarkfest.

I'm opening the window for submissions beginning 8:00 am EST Saturday July 17, 2010 and the window will close at 5:00 pm EST on Friday July 23, 2010. I reserve the right to close the window early if my inbox explodes.

Then starting on the 26th I will post one page per day for everyone to comment on. This is where you guys can really help by promoting the page that is up to be critiqued each day. The more eyes, the more we all benefit.

I have no idea how many entries this will garner, but we'll see how it goes. Who knows, if it's something we all enjoy, maybe it can be a regular thing. Let's just see how it turns out.