Critters^TM Workshop

Weekly Notes

Notes for 21-Oct-2020...

As you will recall from my prior explanatory notes, I'll be making political comments for the next couple weeks. (New members, please see notes from 9/30 et seq. As noted before, if you feel you need to leave because I'm making political statements you disagree with, I understand.)

Because of the problems like the postmaster general slowing down the mail system for political purposes (aka trying to cheat), it is time to start thinking about returning absentee ballots via a dropoff box rather than by mail, or voting in person (early voting if your area offers it). www.vote.org ha info for each area.

I've laid out how I feel Trump is a threat to our democracy, which is reason enough to vote for any sane human rather than him, but I feel I should say that I'm really very pleased Joe Biden is the other choice, and that I think talk-radio-esque fears of what he might do should he win are hugely overblown and just fearmongering. Biden has got to be among if not -the- most warm and genuine of candidates for the past, sheesh, as long back as I can remember. He's not in any kind of mental disarray as the fearmongers want you to think. He's the least corrupt that I can think of. (And if you think he's too corrupt, what do you make of Trump for heaven's sake?) I've read that some fear he'll be some kind of rubber stamp for the extreme elements of the Democratic party, and having observed him I just don't think that will be true. He's much more pragmatic, and I believe will face problems looking for reasonable solutions, not political point-scoring or extremism. (Yes, we have a health care crisis, both acute and chronic to fix, a climate problem to fix, a racism and general hate/bigotry/white-male-straight-or-fill-in-the-blank supremacy problem to fix, etc., but I really don't see Biden going for absurd solutions to those -- rather, going for solutions that fit and enhance the American way of life.) I think he'll be great. Just my two cents, that people shouldn't fear him. Don't panic. [So, go vote!]

On a related topic, by way of update, of the very few people who've quit Critters over my last couple messages, some have exhibited exactly the kind of divisive hate problem that Trump creates. As one said in his reasons for objecting to my pro-Biden messages [profanity redacted],

	>You're an idiot. A head up his a**, tranny c**k sucking idiot. And anybody who buys your          infantile bullsh** is an idiot, too.
	> Go f**k yourself.

Well, that highlights the problem with Trumpism. (FWIW, this person has never critiqued anything in over a year of being a member, and, ironically, in their bio said, "I write and produce all of those horrible political ads that drive you batshit crazy every two years" and "I have been working as a professional corporate/non-profit/political speechwriter since I was thirteen years old, and that is no exaggeration or misprint. My very first job was working for the Governor of the State of ***."  Well. Huh.)

I think Biden is our best bet to work on restoring civility and honor. Four more years of Trump certainly will only make that aspect worse (among of course, making many other things worse).

As Rod Serling said in the Twilight Zone episode, "The Shelter": "No moral, no message, no prophetic tract, just a simple statement of fact: for civilization to survive, the human race has to remain civilized."

                                   -+-
Woohoo!  Congratulations to...

	- Chris Hepler, whose (Critter'd) short story, "The 10:40
	Appointment at the NYC Department of Superhero Registration"
	is now out in the current issue of the Unidentified Funny
	Objects anthology, volume 8. {The story landed in the coveted
	first-place position in the anthology, and can thus be sampled
	via Amazon's "Look Inside" feature. You can buy UFO #8 here:
	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L89S4HD/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1}

	- Jude Matulich-Hall, who sold her (Critter'd) novel, "The
	Eversteam Chronicles - Book One - Small Demons" to White Cat
	Publications. {Huzzah!!!  Funny story, I am usually a stickler
	for paying attention to submission guidelines; I take them
	very seriously. I sent a short story to White Cat's magazine,
	but somehow, I still don't know how, I overlooked their word
	count. They really liked my story but it was too long, so they
	declined it. However, I mentioned my novel in my cover letter and
	they asked to see it.  Moral of the story? Sometimes breaking
	the rules, even on accident, pays off. One month later and
	three meetings over Skype, I have a book deal! I have already
	started on my second novel with a deadline of October 2021,
	the same month my first novel will be published! A two-book
	deal with the possibility of five books in five years!!! Thank
	you so much RFDR Critters Tisha Holman and Joel Roosa, you
	magnificent beasts you, for all your guidance, reading, idea
	bouncing, and conversations! Also, thanks to Critters Thomas
	Dakan, Doris Zhou, and Amy Arabaci for the partial reads, sorry
	we couldn't finish. Let me not forget, much appreciation Aburt
	for building this amazing community, and thank you to all my new
	writer friends that I have met through here. I really could not
	have done it without Critters. Write On! ~Jude}

	- Jude Matulich-Hall, who reports "(I sent in a WooHoo, but
	realized I forgot to thank someone...) How could I possibly
	leave out the lovely, Linda Gould, another Critter, whose input
	was most helpful in my rewrite that helped me sell my book to
	a publisher. ".


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


                                   -+-

This week's Most Productive Critter award, for 4 critiques (at time
of judging), averaging over 900 words each, goes to...

	Sylas Seabrook

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 
http://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 21-Oct-2020 (Crits due 28-Oct-2020):
 SF  The Pole Star                      [mpc] Quinault Childs -#29499
 SF  The Ambassador Attends the Final Fair revision 4.2  Robert Harpold -#29500
 H   The Beautiful Creatures            Carl Alves -#29501
 F   Chaoticum : Prelude - Chapter 2    Charles Gull -#29502
 SF  Azad Chapters 1-2                  Pamela Najar -#29503
 H   Spiders Under the Skin             [@] Larry Hodges -#29504
 SF  Galaxy Run, Chapters 9-11          James Edmund Dennis -#29505
 F   Faster Than the Dead               Michelle Ng -#29506
 SF  Little Bear, Chapters 1-2          Christopher Ross -#29507
 F   The Last Dameryx                   Kelly Parrish -#29508
 F   Hallowed Beasts Chapters 1-3       Katelyn Sullivan -#29509
 SF  The Barrier Between                Kate Genellie -#29510
 F   Worms of Flesh, Worms of Faith     Jordan Chase-Young -#29511
 SF  The Strange Case of Theda Vermaak  Sonja Myers -#29512

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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... BY FURIES POSSESSED by TED WHITE
Tad Dameron's alien charge disappears, only to start a new religion that threatens all humanity.
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1603
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Pieces up for critique in other workshops...

In the lit workshop - https://critique.org/lit :
 L   An Account between a Landlord and a Tenant  Annie Bashaw -#29412

In the mystery workshop - https://critique.org/mystery :
 M   Snakes and Leaders, Chapters 1-8   Michael Benjamin -#29362

In the nonfiction workshop - https://critique.org/nonfiction :
 NH  That Woman                         Wanda Little Fenimore -#29130

In the script workshop - https://critique.org/script :
 SC  Emergency                          Joe Latessa -#29381

In the kids workshop - https://critique.org/kids :
 BK  Monarchs of Greenwood - Fly With Me, CH. 1-3  Emmanuel Agyei-Boatey -#29197

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

In the western workshop - https://critique.org/western :
 W   A Message to Santa Fe, Chap 1-3    Frank Coombs -#25375

In the romance workshop - https://critique.org/romance :
 R   Love and Other Experiments: First 3 Chapters  Tabitha Hapeman -#29363
 R   First 10 pages-- The Last Prince   Brandi Cote -#29364

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  Hawk                               Sandy Kulhavy -#29426

In the art workshop - https://critique.org/art :
 AH  Art Man, a portrait                Robert J Cleary -#27847

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  The Pole Star                      [mpc] Quinault Childs -#29499
 SF  The Ambassador Attends the Final Fair revision 4.2  Robert Harpold -#29500
 H   The Beautiful Creatures            Carl Alves -#29501
 F   Chaoticum : Prelude - Chapter 2    Charles Gull -#29502
 SF  Azad Chapters 1-2                  Pamela Najar -#29503
 H   Spiders Under the Skin             [@] Larry Hodges -#29504
 SF  Galaxy Run, Chapters 9-11          James Edmund Dennis -#29505
 F   Faster Than the Dead               Michelle Ng -#29506
 SF  Little Bear, Chapters 1-2          Christopher Ross -#29507
 F   The Last Dameryx                   Kelly Parrish -#29508
 F   Hallowed Beasts Chapters 1-3       Katelyn Sullivan -#29509
 SF  The Barrier Between                Kate Genellie -#29510
 F   Worms of Flesh, Worms of Faith     Jordan Chase-Young -#29511
 SF  The Strange Case of Theda Vermaak  Sonja Myers -#29512
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You might also like... TIMESHARE by JOSHUA DANN
Have you ever wished you could go back to the good old days? At Timeshare Unlimited, you can.
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1512

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... THE SWEET TASTE OF REGRET by KAREN HABER
A collection of Karen Haber's best short fiction
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1395

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