Critters^TM Workshop

Weekly Notes

Notes for 02-Apr-2025...


Just a reminder that it's beneficial to your own writing to read what other critiquers said about stories you critiqued. The full batch of critiques for a given week's stories are all made available on the site on the Saturday after the week closes. (It's NOT helpful to read what other critiquers say BEFORE you write a critique -- but it is valuable AFTER you've sent in your critique.) :) You can see where other reviewers agreed with you, noticed things you didn't, etc.

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For the benefit of the Critters Fund Drive, this week we have...

	THE ASTRAL MIRROR by Ben Bova - $3.99

		ReAnimus Press Store: www.ReAnimus.com/1332
		Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B00HN7UQ7K/?tag=critters3a-20
		 (available in ebook + paperback)

	
"What you are about to read deals with the stars, the wide galactic future that lies at our fingertips today... both factual articles and fictional stories. In a world where robots are causing human unemployment, spaceflight is so commonplace the news media regard it as dull, and science fiction has become a mainstay of the bestseller lists... nonfiction has become just as exciting as the fiction.

"So here are a dozen and a half views of the world, past present and future, as seen through the Astral Mirror...."
 
--Ben Bova,
from his Introduction


[Disclaimer: Ye Olde Critter Captain also runs ReAnimus Press, sales from which help him keep Critters going as a free site.]


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Thanks for the donations, folks!  We are... 15.6% of the way to the fund drive goal with contributions from 37 donors, leaving about $5900 to go.

	(No donations this past week, sad minion face.)  :[

[See http://www.critters.org/donate.php for more information.]


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(No Woohoo!s this week, be sure to report your sales/publications/etc. via the www.critters.org/telldaworld.ht web page.)


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This week's Most Productive Critter award, for 4 critiques (at time of judging), averaging almost 1100 words each, goes to...

	Brian Sellnow

To redeem an MPC, visit:  www.critters.org/usempc.ht

Congratulations!  To everyone else -- Crit early and often!

(For an explanation of the MPC award, see the www.critters.org/award.ht page.)

                                   -+-

Recommended Reading...
One of the best writing books - Secrets from the 6-time Best Editor
Hugo Award Master, Ben Bova: THE CRAFT OF WRITING SCIENCE FICTION THAT SELLS 
https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1144
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Critters Workshop
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This week we have... [get from https://www.critters.org/private/mss.php ]...
                                                 
     Title                      	Author
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Week of 2-Apr-2025 (Crits due 9-Apr-2025):
 F   Evangeline, Chapter 7              [mpc] Brian Sellnow -#31793
 SF  Reflections of an Obsolete Man     Paul Crawford -#31794
 SF  Dragonfly, Synopsis for RFDR       Mike Bristol -#31795
 SF  A Twist of Fate                    Stephen Shewmake -#31796
 SF  Nights and Weekends in the Shoggoth Loop  Yri Hansen -#31797
 H   The Wishing Angel of Suffolk County  Holly Hefner -#31798
 H   Tunnelmouth                        Guy Pooles -#31799
 SF  They Are Out To Get You, Chapters 0-3  Clay Padgett -#31800

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Recommended books on writing:

THE CRAFT OF WRITING AND SELLING SCIENCE FICTION by Ben Bova
	ReAnimus Press Store: https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1144
	Amazon: https://Amazon.com/dp/B006MAZPEI

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SPECULATIVE FICTION OPENINGS By (Critter member) Robert Qualkinbush
	https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1184 | https://Amazon.com/dp/B007O272ZI

STAYIN' ALIVE - A WRITER'S GUIDE by three-time SFWA President Norman Spinrad
	How things really work in the art and commerce of publishing
	https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1179 | https://Amazon.com/dp/B007SIC4I8

EXPERIMENT PERILOUS: THE 'BUG JACK BARRON' PAPERS by Norman Spinrad
	(A 99cent essay on SF and writing)
	https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1180 | https://Amazon.com/dp/B007MF3MS8
 
Because you might enjoy it... THE UNBORN by BRIAN HERBERT
In the summer of 2097, Riggio wakes up with amnesia - and his lover dead in their bed.
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1600
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Pieces up for critique in other workshops...

In the lit workshop - https://critique.org/lit :
 L   The Great Divide                   Ethan Cunningham -#31654

In the mystery workshop - https://critique.org/mystery :
 M   The Library Club chapters 1, 2     Don Oestreicher -#31726

In the nonfiction workshop - https://critique.org/nonfiction :
 NP  I *Experience*, Therefore I Am     Robin niCathain -#30061

In the script workshop - https://critique.org/script :
 SC  It Happened One Christmas          Robert W. Ross -#31694

In the kids workshop - https://critique.org/kids :
 YS  The Adventures of Jack, The Rabbit  Emmanuel Agyei-Boatey -#31578

In the comics workshop - https://critique.org/comics :
 CG  Magna. logline/ synopsis           Brent Claridge -#28885

In the western workshop - https://critique.org/western :
 W   Currently Untitled                 Aleksandr Vincente Hoang -#30472

In the video workshop - https://critique.org/video :
 VS  The Gallery of Henri Beauchamp     Jay DeTalente -#21424

In the music workshop - https://critique.org/music :
 MP  The Shade Riders and Nocturnal Ned song  Beth Zurkowski -#21675

In the photo workshop - https://critique.org/photo :
 PH  Tea and Gossip                     Sandy Kulhavy -#30875

In the art workshop - https://critique.org/art :
 AH  Peppermint Girls                   Brian Sellnow -#31527

In the apps workshop - https://critique.org/apps :
 GM  Uptown Valkyries                   Arthur Sankey -#31757

In the website workshop - https://critique.org/website :
 WW  Charles Gull creative projects blog and website  Charles Gull -#31783

In the critters workshop - https://critique.org/critters :
 F   Evangeline, Chapter 7              [mpc] Brian Sellnow -#31793
 SF  Reflections of an Obsolete Man     Paul Crawford -#31794
 SF  Dragonfly, Synopsis for RFDR       Mike Bristol -#31795
 SF  A Twist of Fate                    Stephen Shewmake -#31796
 SF  Nights and Weekends in the Shoggoth Loop  Yri Hansen -#31797
 H   The Wishing Angel of Suffolk County  Holly Hefner -#31798
 H   Tunnelmouth                        Guy Pooles -#31799
 SF  They Are Out To Get You, Chapters 0-3  Clay Padgett -#31800
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You might also like... STAINED GLASS RAIN by BRUCE BOSTON
'The best novel yet written about the sixties and its drug culture.' - Howard Hendrix 
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1738

Standard notes:

HELP:
If you need help with anything, see https://www.critters.org/help -- there
are FAQs and a form to ask questions.

HELPING CRITTERS:
Critters is donation funded & volunteer run, so if you'd like to
help out with our current fund drive or otherwise, please visit
https://www.critters.org/donate.php -- Thanks!!

HOW TO SEND CRITIQUES:
Remember to send the critiques directly to me, critters@critique.org, so
I can forward them to the authors _and_ give you credit for your effort.
Please send only one critique per mail message (makes it easier to
archive).  Please make sure the "#" symbol and manuscript number are in
the email Subject: line, like Subject: #1234.  (Conversely, if you want
ol' Aburt to personally read the message, i.e., it's _not_ a critique,
don't put a "#" in the subject or I won't see it.  Also -- put my current
anti-spam code word in there: see https://www.critters.org/antispam.ht .)

You may also send your critiques via https://www.critters.org/webcrit.ht .

Note that all critiques will be available to everyone to read the next Saturday.

DIPLOMACY:
Remember, authors and critiquers, we're all friends here.  Be polite.  Be
considerate.  Be tactful.  You can say you thought a story was drivel in a
courteous way.  Try to point out the good and the bad; offer alternatives
if you can.  Never, ever, attack the author -- only the story.  Authors:
Remember that some reviewers may lack tact.  Try to be understanding,
but if you get any that you feel are just plain mean-spirited, too short
to be of any use, or too "feel good," let me know and I'll withhold the
reviewer's "credit" for that story and/or cajole them into something
more insightful.  See https://www.critters.org/diplomacy.ht for more...

CRITIQUE LENGTH:
If you want to send a short critique that you know is too short for
credit (200 words or less of your own meaningful content) please put
"NC#" in the Subject (NC=No Credit, like Subject: NC#1234) -and- say
something like "not for credit" inside your critique.  (Remember also that
for MPC purposes, a critique must be 300 words or more.)

CHATTING:
Comments -other- than critiques (such as discussion of the critiques,
or Woohoo! announcements, or chit chat) should be posted to one of the
official Critters discussion forums (See the https://www.critters.org/newsgroups.ht
web page for full info, guidelines, etc.)  Don't post stories or critiques
(mail those to critters@critique.org).

QUOTING:
Please pare the ms. down if critiquing in-line (don't quote the whole ms.!).
Other format rules are at https://www.critters.org/format.ht .

EVERYTHING'S ON THE WEB:
Past reviews are on the web page.  The current week's manuscripts are
also there, as are prior mss. and even some rewrites.  There's a Master
Page Index (site map) with tons of links to common items.

AUTHORS:
Authors for this week -- if you aren't getting email'd critiques from
me (as they come in) within a couple days -- ask me and we can verify
I'm sending them to the correct address.  (Send me a phone# in case I
can't get email to you.)  Check the format of your story ASAP to make sure
it's all there and readable.

EMAIL ISSUES:
If you want to change your email address or preferences (# mss. emailed,
SF/F/H type, or whether you get the huge critique batches at week's end),
point your browser to https://www.critters.org/admin.ht .  Please don't
ask me to do this by hand, it's quite a chore!  (E.g., if you're going
on vacation and want to suspend mail from me -- do this before/after
your trip.)

BACKUP SITE:
If you're unable to reach www.critters.org to get manuscripts, I've set up
an emergency backup site at https://backup.critters.org where you can get the
week's manuscripts (but not much of anything else :-).  Speaking of backups --
don't forget to back up your own manuscripts so you don't lose them!

QUITTING:
If you want to quit or go inactive, drop by https://www.critters.org/admin.ht .

DONATIONS:
Critters is funded by donations, so visit https://www.critters.org/donate.php
if you'd like to help out.

Because you might enjoy it... BY THE SEA by HENRY GEE
A gothic modern scientific fiction horror mystery...
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1410

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