WILL YOUR READERS KNOW WHAT YOUR GENRE IS IN THE FIRST 150 WORDS OF YOUR STORY?
Think about it. Settings can be created with the most subtle touch. A mention of 3 moons in the night sky screams science fiction. A woman spilling coffee on her blouse while waiting to meet the handsome new lawyer in the firm strongly suggests women's fiction. Pa coming in from the fields because it's begun to hail hints that we're probably in 19th-century America.
Do your first 150 words paint the picture? Want to find out?
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:
1. Use the web form to submit your first 150 words. IMPORTANT: Under "TITLE", ONLY LEAVE THE CATEGORY. That means ADULT, NA, YA, or MG. NO TITLE! Under "GENRE", TYPE "SECRET".
2. Got that? TITLE = CATEGORY ONLY. GENRE = "SECRET".
3. All genres are welcomed EXCEPT erotica or erotic romance.
4. Submission will open at noon EDT TODAY (Tuesday) and will close at 8 PM EDT.
5. THIS WILL BE A LOTTERY. The Bot will choose 40 entries to post on the blog.
6. Winning entries will post on Thursday, April 9.
THE FEEDBACK PART:
1. The first line of your feedback should be YOUR GENRE GUESS. After you guess, you can leave any additional comments that you think may be helpful. NOTE: These comments should focus on THE WORLDBUILDING/SETTING OF EACH EXCERPT. Full-blown critiques ARE NOT NECESSARY.
2. Feedback/guessing may continue through the weekend. THE TEN ENTRIES WITH THE MOST CORRECT GUESSES will be invited to submit their first 300 words for public critique on the blog (next week).
BONUS:
3. Each time you leave feedback for one of the 10 winning entries, you will be entered in a drawing to receive a FREE 3-page critique from Authoress Edits. That means you've got a maximum of TEN chances to win!
Questions? Post them below!
I always love these! They're easier to critique and for those of us with limited time, it means we get to participate in a meaningful way!
ReplyDeleteBut I can never remember, are these for WIPs or finished work? Are SA contests usually the only ones that require finished work?
hibrixey -- Good question! Rule of thumb: If there are no agents or editors involved (i.e., it's an in-house critique session or contest), then, yes, WIPs are always welcomed. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks!
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