Critters^TM Workshop

Weekly Notes

Notes for 19-Mar-2025...


			Fund drive & networking / email update...

In the ongoing saga of comcast doubling my networking costs, the fund drive got off to a... start... but it's mostly stalled out.

I've looked into transitioning away from comcast. 99% of it is easy to do. It's that last 1%...  Turns out, the big email sites like gmail, yahoo, microsoft, apple, etc. really don't want people to run their own email server any more. Critters relies on a highly customized email setup. It's not like I can drop in a commercial email sender, unfortunately. So until I can figure out that piece, I'm stuck with comcast.

(Actually I'm paying for two internet services now, since I'm paying T-Mobile also while I try to get that last 1% working.)

Gmail has also joined the list of email sites that doesn't like how Critters sends email, so I've adjusted for that. If you were not seeing critiques or cc's of critiques you sent, hopefully you will now. Mainly this means that when you get a critique, you may not be able to hit "reply" to send a note back to the author. If you hit reply and it says it's sending your message to critters@critique.org rather than the critter member's real address, don't send it. (I won't know what to do with it.) You'll have to manually send to the reviewer. (There will be a note with their email address in the message.)

If you see anything else that isn't working like it used to, please do let me know!  If mail stops working while I transition, or the site goes down, have patience. :)

As for the fund drive, I absolutely don't want anyone to donate anything that would be a hardship in any way. If you feel inclined to help keep the lights on (well, the network up), that would be most appreciated. The link is:

	https://www.critters.org/donate.php

                                   -+-

Various folks have asked me for a quick note about using AI for critiques...

Don't.   :)

It defeats the purpose -- truly, half the value of Critters to improve your writing is by doing in-depth critiques of others. When you analyze someone else's story, you also start to see things in your own writing you wouldn't otherwise see. It's part of Critters "secret sauce."

Critters "credits" aren't like a school project. You're here to improve your writing, and doing critiques is one of the big ways that Critters helps you. Doing in-depth, deep analysis ultimately helps you. So using AI to do critiques? That's a cheat that hurts both you and the other members. Undercuts the whole workshop. Trust the system... So, it's a hard No on using AI to help write critiques.

                                   -+-

Speaking of putting in the work, I see various Critterfolk on the list of Nebula Awards finalists. Congratulations!!!

                                   -+-

Thanks for the donations, folks!  We are 12.5% of the way to the fund drive goal with contributions from 31 donors, leaving about $6100 to go.
Thanks especially to

	Matthew Miller
	Rachel Messinger

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

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


                                   -+-
Woohoo!  Congratulations to...

	- Richard Zwicker, who sold his (Critter'd) short story, "Ich
	Bin ein Zombie" to Allegory.


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 almost 1100 words each, goes to...

	Chris Maxwell

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
----------------------------------------------------------------------

This week we have... [get from https://www.critters.org/private/mss.php ]...
                                                 
     Title                      	Author
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Week of 19-Mar-2025 (Crits due 26-Mar-2025):
 F   Cal and the Mind Mage              Robert Harpold -#31779
 SF  VR Troopers                        Douglas Kolacki -#31780
 SF  The Last Backup                    Lawrence Vernon -#31781
 F   Milk of the Khalim                 Liam Kelly -#31782

----------------------------------------------------------------------
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... ICEMAN by CYNTHIA FELICE
In the far distant future, fire and ice can lead to revolution...
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1611
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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  Franklin's Palindromedary          Ray N. Franklin -#29498

In the critters workshop - https://critique.org/critters :
 F   Cal and the Mind Mage              Robert Harpold -#31779
 SF  VR Troopers                        Douglas Kolacki -#31780
 SF  The Last Backup                    Lawrence Vernon -#31781
 F   Milk of the Khalim                 Liam Kelly -#31782
----------------------------------------------------------------------

You might also like... DEAR AMERICA: LETTERS HOME FROM VIETNAM by Bernard Edelman (ed.)
The bestselling book and basis for the Emmy award winning documentary now available in ebook edition!
http://reanimus.com/1413

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... PHOENIX WITHOUT ASHES by HARLAN ELLISON and ED BRYANT
Harlan Ellison! What more needs be said?!? The novel of his award-winning script
http://reanimus.com/store/?item=1266

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