Critters^TM Workshop

Weekly Notes

Notes for 15-Jan-2025...


Comcast Doubles their Costs -- Fund Drive Time, Alas...

	[ https://critters.org/c/donate.php ]

Comcast, who provides the business internet service for the server, is doubling their price. Yes, doubling. Historically they've always listed an absurd high number then offered a "promo" rate to make it reasonable; this time they're being hard-nosed and not doing that.

Donations have only barely been covering costs. At the recent pace of donations, they won't cover costs at the prior level, let alone the new costs.

I hate asking writers for donations, since writers generally don't have a lot of spare funds. I want to be clear: I do not want donations from anyone for whom it would be any hardship at all. I've always found a way over the past 30 years to keep Critters going, and will keep striving for that.

I try to keep it low key. I haven't done a fund drive for two years. If people feel Critters is worthwhile, voluntary donations should organically follow. I don't want to hold things hostage like public TV fund drives that won't show the show until some threshold is met. I don't want to get really in your face like Wikipedia covering the screen with donation requests. I don't feel it's fair to offer higher levels of service or special perks to donors a la Patreon -- everything in Critters should be equally available to all. The paypal link it pretty obvious as it is.

To address the FAQs, moving to another internet provider would be a big undertaking, and, when you run your own email server, your options are limited, and still subject to costs for computing, storage, network traffic, etc. (Critters relies heavily on customized email to function, for example, which limits choices.) I do have an alternative I can switch to if Comcast gets untenable, but it would be a lot of work and a step down in performance. Unfortunately, for security reasons, I can't let anyone else into the server to help out. Nor, realistically, could anyone else make sense of the intricate code that has evolved over 30 years to keep things going. (Remember, my background is as a computer science professor sort of guy, so I've written a lot of complex code over the years. It's not quite "spaghetti," but...) Guy McDonnell does a fantastic job helping field questions, but that's the extent of what outside help can do.

So, with Comcast doubling the price, donations not covering that, I apologize that it's time for a fund drive...

Many thanks for helping keep Critters going! (And remember, please do not send anything that would be in any way be a hardship for you.)  Thank you!

                                   -+-

I've joined Blue Sky, which you're welcome to use as a way to check on the status of Critters.

https://bsky.app/profile/andrewburt.bsky.social

If it's down, for example, I'll try to post there what the issue is. You can ask me there what's up if you can't reach the site. Facebook too. ( https://www.facebook.com/andrew.l.burt/ )

                                   -+-

The Winners are in for the annual readers poll'!  See www.critters.org/predpoll
Congrats to all the winners!

                                   -+-

Proceeds also benefitting the Critters Fund drive come from sales of ReAnimus Press books, such as...

	DEFENSE FOR THE DEVIL by Kate Wilhelm - $5.99

		ReAnimus Press Store: www.ReAnimus.com/1435
		Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp//?tag=critters3a-20

	
Mitch Arno always meant bad news for Folsum, Oregon. When they ran him out of town seventeen years ago, he left behind a wife with two daughters and a family that never wanted to see him again. When he returns, he brings trouble in the form of a lot of suspicious money. As Barbara attempts to counsel Mitch's wife about the money, a second form of trouble arrives, Mitch's corpse.. 


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

                                   -+-

Thanks for the donations, folks!  Thanks especially to

	Frank Shewmake
	Larry Hodges
	Roger Hetchler

for their recent donations to help keep Critters going. Much appreciated!

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


                                   -+-
Woohoo!  Congratulations to...

	- Douglas Kolacki, who sold his (Critter'd) short story,
	"Gynoid Angels of the Convergence" to The Worlds Within.


Please report your Woohoo!s via the www.critters.org/telldaworld.ht web page.


                                   -+-

This week's Most Productive Critter award, for 3 critiques (at time
of judging), averaging over 900 words each, goes to...

	Tim Nall

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 15-Jan-2025 (Crits due 22-Jan-2025):
 SF  Pandemonium: Death and Ashes, Chapter 2  John Francis Willems -#31708
 SF  Second Level                       Deborah Kaminski -#31709
 SF  Mark of the Predator, Chapter 31 and 32  Brian Sellnow -#31710
 SF  The Moonvoice Chronicles chapter 6  Erin Tunney -#31711
 SF  The Army of Dogs                   Carmen F Clarke -#31712

----------------------------------------------------------------------
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... DARK SECRET by EDWARD M. LERNER
Cosmologically speaking, Earth's luck ran out in an eye blink... 
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1740
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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 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 romance workshop - https://critique.org/romance :
 R   Haven                              Tonya Washington -#31596

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 website workshop - https://critique.org/website :
 WW  Franklin's Palindromedary          Ray N. Franklin -#29498

In the critters workshop - https://critique.org/critters :
 SF  Pandemonium: Death and Ashes, Chapter 2  John Francis Willems -#31708
 SF  Second Level                       Deborah Kaminski -#31709
 SF  Mark of the Predator, Chapter 31 and 32  Brian Sellnow -#31710
 SF  The Moonvoice Chronicles chapter 6  Erin Tunney -#31711
 SF  The Army of Dogs                   Carmen F Clarke -#31712
----------------------------------------------------------------------

You might also like... THE BEST SCIENCE-FICTION STORIES AND NOVELS, NINTH SERIES by T. E. DIKTY
The best SF of 1957-58 
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1722

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... ORION AND THE CONQUEROR by BEN BOVA
Orion meets Alexander the Great, battling to save the future of mankind
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1418

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