Meredith Mansfield, Author

I’m taking a brief break from my Weird Oz Story to work through some of the critiques I’ve received on DESERT ROSE (formerly known as MAGIC AND POWER).

I’ve said before, but it bears repeating, that nothing will improve writing faster than giving and receiving critiques. Getting feedback on what works and what doesn’t, what’s missing or too thin (like description) or where you’ve taken something maybe a touch too far is invaluable. Doing critiques is at least as valuable. Sometimes, it’s just easier to see issues in someone else’s writing than in your own.

Now, I have a usual group of critique partners–the Pied Pipers (see sidebar)–but recently quite a few of our members have had to take time away because of real life. Others have drifted away for other reasons. (By the way, if you write young adult fantasy or science fiction, do check out the Pied Pipers on David Farland’s Writers’ Groups. We’re open to new members.) So, for DESERT ROSE I branched out and looked for a couple of new critique partners.

That’s made me realize something. See, the Pied Pipers have been exchanging critiques for a couple of years now. We know each others’ writing styles and the kinds of stories we tend to tell. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, in some ways it’s an advantage. But there’s something else to be learned from people who are reading one of my stories for the first time. My new critique partners are looking at and seeing different things.

It’s exciting and I think it’s already made my writing better on DESERT ROSE (and I’m only on Chapter 3 of the critiques.) So, if you’re reading this (and you know who you are), thank you.