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Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another edition of Author's Corner. I've been in Ireland for a few weeks so now I'm ready to get back to business. A break like that is good for renewing one's sense of creativity.
MegaCon was a very exciting and successful convention again. I had quite a crowd for my 'books to screenplay' session. Despite a little competition from a music group in the next hall, we still had a very productive discussion.
Next on my schedule is RavenCon (Richmond, Va) on April 21st. I'm on several interesting panels and moderating two as well. Ravencon's site, www.ravencon.org, lists all the panels by name so check it out and see what's happening.
I just received an invite to BaltiCon (Baltimore) on Memorial Day weekend and I'm going to attend. BaltiCon is one of the oldest conventions in the country. They also have a website at www.balticon.org. I'll have more details next month.
ConCarolinas is the following weekend in Charlotte, NC. I'm looking forward to this one. It's not a very big convention but it is planned extremely well and the hotel is laid out perfectly for a convention of this size. The people there were great last year.
In last month's Author's Corner, I spoke to you about the Critique for screenplays. This month, I'm going to breakdown the critique for literary works (novels, short stories, etc.).
First of all, the critique will comment on the title and synopsis. How catchy is the title? Does it effectively apply to your work? Regarding the synopsis: Is it catchy? Does it intrigue the ready to want more?
The report analyzes the power of your opening 3-5 sentences. If the opening paragraph(s) are weak, a good critic will recommend examples of improvements.
Next is the dialogue. How true to life is it? Is it used adequately? Dialogue can be overused or underused throughout a story.
The mechanics (grammar, spelling, formatting and punctuation) are vital. Without it, you'll loose credibility, as will your story. The critique should rate your mechanics and, once again, give you examples of improvements.
The critique ends with a summary or conclusion indicating the marketability of your work. This critique can be a valuable tool for your agent or for yourself to present with your proposal to a publisher.
Writer's Literary has a very good website with examples of their critiques. Their website is www.writersliterary.com. I would recommend using them in conjunction with an agent. In some cases, the agent's referral could get you a discount on the price of the critique.
I asked the question of my agent: Is a critique necessary for every work that's submitted? The answer was 'Not if you show consistency in your writing and you meet the industry standard'.
I hope you find this beneficial and good luck with your writing.
Best Wishes to you all,
- Michael D'Ambrosio
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