An IWW Success Story

Thoughts from IWW member Mona Vanek

I 'discovered' IWW when my daughter gifted me with a pound-and-a-half sized Internet Directory, in 1996. I'd just upgraded from a Tandy DOS computer to a laptop that had a modem, and our telephone company recently added ISP connection. Because I lived in an area of Montana devoid of libraries and higher education, and we had limited funding for travel, food and lodging where I could avail myself of them,

I joined IWW and signed onto Writing and NFiction, and felt like heaven had opened it's doors and welcomed me!! Soon, I was invited to join MarketChat, which at that time was not an open list. I've maintained my memberships ever since.

Montana and Idaho newspapers had published hundreds (maybe thousands) of my news and photojournalism pieces. I'd been published in a few magazines, and my three-volume regional history series was published and selling. Little did I realize how ignorant I was about writing and the opportunities in the publishing world!

IWW's marvelous members began teaching me what I needed to learn -- Writing 101!

Because of their generous help, I wrote successful grants, created and produced videos, and succeeded in marketing to more prestigious magazines. I learned about copyrights and negotiating contracts. Thanks to information shared on IWW's MarketChat, my knowledge of writing and marketing grew exponentially, and I negotiated a sale to Chicken Soup, getting them to up their standard $300 fee to $1,200.

By gleaning and compiling what I learned from IWW, getting permission from members, and adding other online resources I found, I created my own writing course -- to make available to anyone anywhere in the world the very resources IWW members so willingly share. Through that venue, IWW members can take credit for the hundreds who've received the 21 chapters and handouts I e-mail to students, worldwide. IWW has
helped far more writers than just their own members. Call that Writing 101 if you will. It works! And helping wannabee writers, as well as successful professional writers and freelancers, in my opinion, is what IWW is all about.

If the addition of our IWW blogspot provides even greater opportunities, and if by hosting it our membership increases, then I'm living proof that growing our always fluctuating membership is a beneficial thing. I don't view it as a detriment to the membership, but rather as a boon.

If, in the process, a few new members need extra help, there will always be those of us more than willing to mentor them. Anyone who doesn't want to bother can -- and should -- delete submissions that don't interest them, and focus on submissions of exceptional quality. Although it's always a wonderful experience to read perfect prose, in my opinion, it's the writers who seek and welcome, help that are the
reason for and the mainstay of IWW. I learn something from each member, no matter their status in the writing field.

How I Found the IWW

"I found you through a Google search. I was looking for a writing group online and liked what I read at your site. I appreciate the structure you are creating."

"I found out about your site when someone recommended it after I found a great deal of difficulty getting some of my work critiqued."

"I found out about this site in a comment on a post made in Miss Snark's Blog on Blogger.com. I was reluctant to join at first, as I've always been very self conscious about my writing. But I can't get anywhere with publishing if I'm too scared to show my stories to people. So here I am."

"I found out about this list from the writingworld.com website."

"So how did I hear about the elusive, yet reputable Internet Writing Workshop? I used to be a big reader of Max Barry's blog, and in it, he mentions the IWW as a great place to receive feedback. I'm sure many of you know Max Barry, because I believe he used to be a member himself. So there you have it. The credit goes to Max Barry."

"There was a link to this site on Scott Wiggerman home page."

"Well, if you wanted to know how I heard of this list ... I think it was because I saw something over at http://www.writing.com and thought it was interesting ... to get the best critiques I believe that it is important to have a multiple number of viewpoints. Plus the practice part actually interests me. That's one way to break down writer's block."

"I heard about IWW through a listserv for librarians who are also writers."

"My much admired friend Barbara Witbrecht told me about it ... We've done a lot of collaborations on Ghostletters together."

"I found your website for through a google search that I was doing for online writing groups. I have not submitted or critiqued anything yet, but I cannot wait. I think it's going to be a good experience."

"I read about this list at the Miss Snark literary agent blog."

"I heard about the group from a librarian friend, who had seen a notice on an email list for librarians who write. He knows that I'm always looking for new writers' resources."

"I found your site doing a search for writers groups on Google. I think this was the first link to come up."

"My writing mentor, Roxanne Hawn, suggested the list."

I have been looking for a quality online critique group for quite some time. It’s hard to get together with other writers when there is a full time job, munchkins, and a family. When the sun sets and the little ones are in bed, it’s time to start writing. I have plenty of time to write and critique at night, but by then – nothing is open.

"After searching for a few months – I’m really picky – for a quality online critique group, I looked at the IWW Fiction Group and was extremely impressed. I am capable of writing well, however there is nothing like another pair of eyes to scrutinize every single line I write and tell me ways of how to improve or to leave the words alone. Not only do I enjoy receiving critiques, I enjoy helping others improve their work so they are that much closer to reaching their dream of getting their written word out to the public."

Writing Chats on AOL: Obstacles to Writing, Rejection

By Mel DuVall, IWW Administrator

Always remember the knowledge and experiences of the host, presenters, and even attendees limit the content of chats and workshops. The publishing industry is large, complex, and changing to meet new challenges. New technologies make it easier for many to write, but don’t guarantee the works produced will be better than those of the past.

View chats and workshops and all self-help tools and books with a critical eye. Use what helps to improve your own work. Learn to judge quality over quantity. Honing one’s critical skills is an important writing tool.Two recent AOL chats point out this problem. One focused on Obstacles to Writing and another on Rejections. They illustrate the point.

The chat on Obstacles, a popular chat topic, identified some important elements, but also veered off in the later discussion to the experiences of two participants. Some of these latter points remained specific to the persons raising them.

Among the useful points: lack of confidence, overconfidence, lack of knowledge, trying too hard (straining for literary prose or the perfect hook), over-or underwriting of dramatic passages. The consensus: get the story down first and worry about the perfect metaphor later. Once you have a draft, you can revise it. Once the ending is set, the hook becomes much clearer. It also makes it easier to tell when and where to start the piece.

The chat on Rejections veered off into using Feng Shui to decorate a writing office. Useful points emerged, however.

Don’t agonize over rejection. Keep writing and reading books and market news of your genre. While rejection letters might help convince the IRS you’re a serious writer, file them away and move ahead.

In those few cases where an editor sends comments, do your best to understand what they mean. Sometimes, it’s just a way of letting you down easily, but most editors are too busy for idle comments, so read any such responses with care. They may point to needed revisions or story weaknesses. Most offer only a form-letter response or a scrawled ‘no.’

Participants deplored the mergers among publishing houses, but others noted new ones start up all the time. The host spoke highly of e-publishing and e-zines. More of them offer payment or royalties for longer works.

So You Want to Write Profiles?

So You Want to Write Profiles?

By Ruth Douillette, IWW Administrator

Writing profiles is right up my alley: I get to ask questions, lots and lots of questions. People share their lives with me, their triumphs mostly, but sometimes their tragedies. I listen, I commiserate, I comfort, and congratulate. Then I write. But first I remind myself of my mission.

If you want to write profiles, there is a point between your interview and your writing where you need to ask: what do I owe my readers? What do I owe my subject?

The answer for both is the same: the truth.

I had the privilege of interviewing a woman for a profile piece in the local paper. Anna. She's a hairdresser in a small two-chair shop she owns.

Born in Italy, she's retained a strong accent despite thirty years in the US. That day, while I waited for my turn, she cut the hair of an Italian man. She lapsed in and out of her native tongue so quickly that her words blended in a mixture I found hard to separate. When finished, she powdered his neck, brushed off the stray hairs, and then dispensed the hug she gives her male clients. They've come to expect it.

Then it was my turn for the chair. I watched her in the mirror as she kept track of what her newly hired hairdresser was doing. She watched, chatted, and answered the phone while she wielded her scissors to cut my hair expertly, if not a bit shorter than I wanted.

I returned later in the day when her appointments were done, with a coffee for each of us. We sat on a leather couch in a small alcove where late afternoon sun poked me in the eye. I chose to ignore it. Anna spent an hour telling the tale of her fifty years.

Now that I've heard it, it seems too personal for a column in a local paper. How can I write 1000 words that capture her pain and anger, and subsequent growth? How can I print a story that brought tears in the retelling? She offered the truth; I will be careful with it.

There are many ways to present the truth, and this is where you, as a writer, need to make a decision. Do you share a positive truth, one that highlights the strengths and positive attributes of your subject, ignoring the weak moments? Do you pick and choose from details that paint a darker view, still truthful, but less positive? Or do you mix and mingle both in an attempt to show the complexity of a life, both
good and bad?

The choice is ultimately yours. Only you have that story at your fingertips. You hold the power. Your pen is mighty. Write carefully about life you frame with your words. It was entrusted to you.

The Internet Writing Workshop has a nonfiction group for those
interested in writing profiles and other forms of nonfiction.

Commas and Such

by Florence Cardinal
You have chosen an exciting topic and spent weeks at the library and on the Internet doing research. You have interviewed dozens of sources, asked pertinent questions and obtained quotes from eminent people. Now you've written the article and it's ready to
submit.

Or is it? Are you sure every word is spelled correctly? Do the words say what you want them to say? A misplaced modifier or transposed letters can produce a giggle where none was intended. For example: "He bought a puppy for his girlfriend with a cold wet nose." "The couple lived in martial bliss."

At the very least, such errors are distracting and can break a reader's concentration. Passive sentences with weak verbs take the "glow" from your story. Compare: "Space was conquered by men in silver rocket ships." " Men in silver rocket ships conquered space." " The snow by the gate was trampled by the elk." " The elk trampled the snow by the gate."

Weed out unnecessary words to tighten the writing. "The store stayed open until 11 p.m. at night." (Omit either pm or at night.) Instead of: "The unsuccessful business was a failure" write: "The business failed."

Punctuation is also important. Commas, dashes and periods tell the reader where to pause and can alter the meaning of a sentence. For instance, the sentence: "Woman without her man is nothing" is complete without any commas. But, try a bit of
punctuation: "Woman. Without her, man is nothing" or "Woman, without her man, is nothing." What a difference a bit of punctuation made in the meaning!

Quotation marks alert readers that the enclosed words come from a source other than the writer. "No comment!" the senator replied.

If time allows, put your article away for a week or more. At the very least, let it rest for a few hours or overnight. Then reread it, not as the proud author, but as a copywriter. Look at every word with a critical eye. Check for spelling and meaning.

If your word processor has a spell checker, go ahead and use it, but don't depend on the spell checker completely. Go over the story yourself. Spell checkers can miss some pretty basic errors. "Their isn't a clean dish in there kitchen." "I road my
brown pony down the rode." There's a difference between: "I considered the man a friend" and "I considered the man a fiend."

Another error to watch for is the error of possession. It's and its, for instance. "It's cold outside today. The squirrel is hiding in its nest." " I own two dogs. They sleep together in The dogs' basket. I sometimes forget my one dog's name

Are the quotes enclosed in quotation marks? Commas and dashes should indicate short pauses. Periods mean a longer pause.

It often helps to read your story aloud, perhaps using a tape recorder. Listen to your voice, either as you read or as it is played back. Listen for ultra long sentences that leave you breathless or several consecutive short sentences that make the story sound choppy.

Once all this is done, its time for a rewrite incorporating any changes or corrections. Now, read it one final time. If you're satisfied with the spelling and punctuation, if every word, sentence and paragraph blend into a smooth whole, then, and only then, will your article be ready to submit to the editor of your choice.

Resources For Writers

by Mel Duval

Resources for writers abound on the Internet. Email, bulletin boards have been with the Internet since its inception. Chat rooms soon followed. Any search engine will provide a long list of writing chat room, just be sure to eliminate sex, singles, and marriage from your search. Most ISPs offer a variety of chat facilities.

For a long time AOL provided chat rooms and host training. In an effort to reduce cost and add other services, AOL cut writing groups loose. Some floundered, some went elsewhere and others continued. The Children's Writing Chat continues on Thursday evenings and multi-published author Brenda Hiatt has her chat/critique group on Tuesday.

Most of the AOL writers wanted to continue and formed a new group AOL Writers and began chats again. They now have an extensive schedule that covers all most all aspect of writing. They have a website at http://www.freewebs.com/writersonaol/weeklychatschedule.htm. Two of the best chats occur on Friday evenings at 8 and 9 pm EST respectively, the Writer's Launch Pad, and the Commercial Novelists chat. They also have begun a new chat on Sunday evenings focused on beginners.

From time to time, I'll provide tidbits from various AOL chats that may interest others. The most recent Commercial Novelist chat covered creativity (or how to get rid of writer's block). Much of the formal presentation by Linda Vernon came from the work of Timothy Perrin with a nod to Writing the Natural Way by Gabriele Lusser Rico. Gary Provost's method using 3 x 5 cards for scene ideas also received mention. Anyone interested in the full presentation can contact Hillwithit@aol.com (screenwriter John Hill) for a log.

While useful for information, techniques, and market news, chats consume a lot of time, time I could spend on writing. Finding and selecting the most useful chats also takes times. I narrowed my list down to a few each week and sporadically add others when the topic interests me. Between my ordinary life and my writing, I haven't time to spend it all in chats, tempting though they may seem. So I share information with others on the chats I find useful, hoping to free some of their time for more writing. The next posting on chats will contain a more extensive summary of the chat content.

The Power Of Transparent Verbs

"The Power Of Transparent Verbs"
by David Swinford, IWW Admin

It's not uncommon to encounter a comment in a critique of a chapter or piece of fiction that says something like: "You use a lot of "to be" verbs. Try replacing them with more active verbs. It will make your writing less passive."

Often, this is sound advice, but implicit in this advice is the assumption that "to be" verbs are weak and passive and thus, should be avoided in fiction. In fact, it has become almost an unwritten rule that good fiction writing avoids the use of "to be" verbs. Yet, that is a bit like concluding that if too much salt can be bad for you, one should avoid salt altogether.

Properly employed, "to be" verbs can add power and variety to your fiction. Consider
the opening paragraph of Hemingway's classic story, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place:

"It was very late and everyone had left the cafe‚ except an old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the electric light. In the day time the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference. The two waiters inside the caf‚ knew that the old man was a little drunk, and while he was a good client they knew that if he became too drunk he would leave without paying, so they kept watch on him."

Note the number of "to be" verbs Hemingway employs; yet, this is a very effective opening paragraph. It sets the scene, elicits a mood, creates atmosphere and skillfully sketches character. Why then are "to be" verbs so often considered inappropriate for fiction?

Active verbs such as, staggered...yawned...grinned...hugged, have the power to stand alone and still create images for the reader that include emotional connotations. One can picture these actions complete with associated feelings.

The "to be" verbs, is...are...was...were, do not evoke specific images. They have no clearly associated emotions. Thus, compared to strong active verbs, they appear weak and passive. However, that appearance ignores the true power of "to be" verbs.

"To be" verbs are linking verbs. Their job is to link or connect the subject of a sentence to other information - usually modifiers or modifying phrases. Go back to Hemingway's paragraph and look at the modifying details that are linked to the subject. Therein resides the true power of "to be" verbs.

Hemingway was a journalist and he knew how to employ dramatic, telling details to set a scene or elicit a mood. The error many novice authors make is not in using "to be" verbs but in how they utilize them. Consider the following example:

"He was so angry, he was about to explode."

The "to be" verbs link the subject to modifying details that tell the reader something about the subject, and therein lies the difficulty; they tell rather than portray or dramatize. The linking verbs are not allowed to carry a full load of telling details. Compare it with the following example:

"He was a quaking volcano, forehead reddening, eyes sparking, cheeks quivering, breath escaping in hissing snorts."

This portrays the man as a volcano about to erupt. There is no need to tell the reader that the man is about to erupt with anger. The telling details dramatize his anger, and the verb, "was," simply becomes transparent. What the reader receives is not the associated image and emotions of an active verb, but the carefully crafted image and emotions of anger, powerfully, yet transparently linked to the subject.

If you are one who likes rules or guidelines, make it your personal rule or policy to take full advantage of the power of "to be" verbs by linking them to telling, dramatic details. Set the scene, capture mood, create atmosphere, sketch character, and if you do it well, the details are what the reader focuses on, thereby rendering the "to be" verbs transparent. There is great power in transparent verbs. Use them well and they will create variety that enhances your writing.

More at these Web sites ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Hemingway
http://www.mrbauld.com/hemclean.html

_________________________________________

Criticism can be a career

Writers are always blasting or praising reviewers, depending on how their most recent works were received, but one thing I seldom hear is talk about the field of criticism as a writing market or career.

The NY Times recently posted a superb review of an old play, "Journey's End," that's being revived on Broadway. I'd never heard of the author, Fred Smoler, but I had to admire his thoughtful analysis of the play and its history. They paid him for that, and paid well, I'd guess.

Some years ago I reviewed movies weekly in my college newspaper--they gave me free tickets. Since then I've written innumerable book reviews, but making a specialty of criticism never occurred to me.

Give it some thought. You might be able to start on your local newspaper, or on the Web. For example, Gayle Surette, editor of Gumshoe , is always looking for good new mystery reviewers. Criticism is a way to get free books, or tickets to plays, operas, or concerts, but it can also be a career.

Carter

Making Critiques Better, Two Reactions

I wrote, "It never hurts to remember we are a group of people who want to be published, have been published, or want to publish in higher-paying or more prestigious markets. That's only possible if our fellow members look upon our every submission with the idea it can be made better."

Two members of the IWW's nonfiction group responded, each describing the opposite side of the proverbial coin.

One said, "Even if we assume that a piece can be made better, we should not be so quick to assume that just any old body with a keyboard in front of him knows how this should be done. Writing a formalized, critical assessment of a text is simply beyond some people, and they should not be encouraged to do what they cannot do. Didactic critiques written by persons without qualifications can cause more harm than good. Great job, send it right off may be a cop-out, but it sure beats being
scolded about hyphens. I'll take it. You bet I will."

The other agreed with me. "I have wondered about the very abbreviated critiques that do little more than give someone a symbolic pat on the back. I thought the purpose of a critique was honest feedback and valuable input to the author. My critiques take some time because the article, hopefully, took some time to write. I can't just say Great job! and shine it on. If we want the list to attract and keep excellent writers, a formula huzzah will not interest nor instruct those who work every day to improve their craft. "I think that a detailed critique is the foundation of the IWW. Where else will I find analysis of my writing by professors, published authors, and people of many different opinions and cultures?"

What is a Writer

What Is a Writer
By
Florence U. Cardinal

What is the definition of a writer? A writer is, simply put, one who writes. Nowhere does the definition say a writer is one who gets paid for writing. Nowhere does the definition state that a writer is one who has his or her writing published.

I am a writer. Therefore, I write. Sometimes I write ceaselessly, for hours or days or even weeks at a time. Then, having written, I take off my writer's hat and become - a marketer.

The Marketer
A marketer, simply put, is someone who markets. As a marketer, I search for publications, whether magazine, newspaper or ezine, that might be interested in what, as a writer, I have produced. Occasionally I am successful and sell what I have written, even less occasionally, for a fair sum of money. More often than not, I am unsuccessful, so I put the writing away for revision or perhaps only another try at a later date. But this process makes me no less a writer.

Freelance Writer

A freelance writer is one who writes what he wants, where he wants, when he wants. Most writers do, at least to some extent, fall into that category. Only those writers who work at a corporate level producing, perhaps, ad copy or company brochures, are not really freelancing, but again, they have chosen to do this.

I write a regular weekly article for the same publication. But I chose, and still choose, to do that. I also write other things. Sometimes a publication sets a deadline but that makes me no less a freelance writer, because I have chosen to write for this publication and to adhere to the rules and deadlines set by the editor.

Creative Writer

What is a creative writer? Simply put, a creative writer is a writer who creates. Again, this is all writers, because, whether we write fantastic opuses about life on a distant planet or an article on why eating spinach is good for you, we are still creating. We are painting pictures with words although those pictures are as different as -- well -- a bump by bump tale of a ride in a rocket ship gone mad or an egg by egg recipe for a spinach omelet.

And this brings us full circle, back to the original question: What is a writer? Simply put, no matter what you write, where you write or when you write, a writer is one who writes.

Show vs. Tell - A Different Take

Show vs. Tell - A Different Take
by Dave Swinford
IWW Administrator

A majority of prose is written to inform, and the intent is to engage the reader's intellect. The basic sentence structure states or sums up, connecting one statement to the next to lead the reader to some sort of conclusion. Indeed, all the sentences I have so far used (including this one) are statements that sum up and thereby inform.

In a very real sense, informative prose summarizes the key information it wishes to convey. By contrast, the intent of fictional prose is to engage the reader's imagination. This cannot be accomplished without also engaging the intellect, but what makes fiction succeed is its ability to create an illusion that the events being described are happening as the reader reads about them. Fiction does not simply summarize what happened. Fiction attempts to dramatize the events in a manner that draws the reader into the fictional reality.

Therefore, my own personal version of "Show, don't tell" has become:

Dramatize, don't summarize.

Since most of our communications are intended to inform, it's not surprising that we have a natural tendency to summarize rather than dramatize. In a sense, all statements summarize, but some summarize more completely than others. Perhaps a few examples will best illustrate my point.

"He went to the window and looked out." This is a summary statement. One way to test this assertion is to apply what I think of as the "short test," which consists of the simplest sentence or Actor - Action or Noun - Verb structure.

"He went" - does this engage the imagination? Does it make a picture? Can one see him "wenting"?

If "went" is too general and non-specific, perhaps we can improve by selecting a more active verb.

"He walked to the window and looked out."

Short test: "he walks" - can one imagine him walking? Can one picture it? If so, this is a more dramatic way of stating/describing his actions.

The good thing about "walk" is the number of synonyms (part of why I chose this example).

"He strolled to the window"

"He crept to the window"

"He swaggered to the window"

"He ambled to the window"

"He staggered to the window" and more.

When the short test is applied, all these verbs produce specific images. Even more importantly, the images have specific emotional connotations. "He strolled" feels quite different from "He crept" or from "He crept" or "He swaggered."

Successful fiction also involves the reader's emotions. Therefore, if one can select verbs that engage the imagination and involve the emotions, shouldn't those be the preferred choice, especially if one's intent is to dramatize rather than summarize?

Just in case I've only managed to confuse the issue, here's one final example that may clarify.

Jim hit Sam in the nose." (a summary statement)

Jim poked Sam in the nose. (a more active verb, a verb one can more easily imagine/picture, but still basically a summary)

Jim threw a stiff right jab, catching Sam flush on the nose. Cartilage crunched and Sam's head snapped back. Blood spurted, splattering crimson drops onto Sam's white tee shirt.

"Not fair, man." Blood oozed between Sam's fingers. "You broke my node."

Jim flexed his right hand, barely aware of his stinging knuckles.

"That'll teach you not to mess with my computer." (dramatic and full of sensory details)

If possible, dramatize rather than summarize, and if you need to inform the reader with description or exposition or narrative, use as many dramatic verbs and sensory details as possible so as to more fully engage the reader's imagination. When in doubt, apply the "short test."

Welcome to the Internet Writing Workshop's blog

I'm Greg Gunther, Owner of the Internet Writing Workshop.

We're a wholly free mailing list for writers of all stripes. We communicate by email to offer groups for writers who want feedback on their works. We also have discussion groups for questions and answers on writing-related topics.

You can find out more and learn how to join us at:
http://www.internetwritingworkshop.org.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Money For Your romance

You've probably heard of the huge advances paid to some romance writers, for instance Nora Roberts. Sorry. It's not true for all of us, and especially not for beginners. Sometimes it's necessary to start small and build a readership.

Curious as to what the various publishers pay? Romance writer Karen Fox, who writes for Jove and Zebra, has the answer in Show Me the Money.

Two-line Critiques Don't Cut It

There's an ongoing discussion among IWW administrators about critiques, or rather about not counting for participation those critiques that are valueless -- "Great job! Send it off!"

It never hurts to remember we are a group of people who want to be published, have been published, or want to publish in higher-paying or more prestigious markets. That's only possible if our fellow members look upon our every submission with the idea it can be made better.

Here are three links to articles about critiquing:

1] http://homepages.uhwo.hawaii.edu/~writing/critique.htm ---
A critique is a formalized, critical assessment of a text (or other media). It is also a personal response; yet writing a critique is considerably more rigorous than saying that the text is 'great', 'interesting', or 'unsatisfactory'. These are all responses, but they don't illuminate the subject for everyone. Therefore, you have to explain how you arrived at your conclusions."

2] http://www.wcu.edu/writingcenter/isource.asp?page=cwriting.html --
"According to Behrens and Rosen, authors of Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum, 'A critique is not a listing of complaints or faults, but a careful analysis of an argument to determine what is said, how well the points are made, what assumptions underlie the argument, what issues are overlooked and what implications can be drawn from such observation'(37-38). A critique, therefore, is a
personal reaction, an opinion, or an evaluation of what an author has to say."

3] http://www.sfwa.org/writing/hc_critique.htm ---
"When we criticise work, we are commenting for the purposes of publishability, and our goal is to help authors to become publishable and published writers."

And there's this. One long-standing administrator of the IWW said, "Consider the type of critique you've found most useful and model that style."

The Internet Writing Workshop

Published? It's Time to Promote!

One way to do so is to sign on to The Habitual Reader site and use the Shameless Promotion feature.