Day 13 - Item 2

From Jen K Bloom a critique of the first three chapters plus a query AND a copy of POSSUM SUMMER

Jen grew up in the middle of the wind-swept plains of Oklahoma & developed her deep love of traveling & animals from exploring the Sooner state river bottoms. She had a possum (and a raccoon) for pets, could mount a horse Native-American style (saddle-less and flat-footed) and once climbed a mountain only to come face to nose with an American Buffalo.

It was a very big buffalo.

She’s lived as far away as Darwin, Australia as a beach bum (camped in Kakadu!) & as close as Virginia as an owner/breeder Azawakh handler but currently calls Berlin, Germany her home. She is and will always remain an Okie, however.

Jen is owned by the Sphynx cats Yoda and Blue, who do not believe in alarm clocks but do believe in incessant meowing, & is the handmaiden of her darling beautiful daughter Loki.

She’s also lucky to have her husband – who is always her first & best beta reader – regularly tear apart her writing!

POSSUM SUMMER

Princess is a die-hard tomboy growing up in the middle of the Oklahoma plains with only one friend in a thirty-mile radius: her best buddy Mart. Her dad’s off to war and her mama is gone all day working, so she’s in charge of the farm and all the inhabitants living on it for the summer. When she finds an orphan kit in the ragged remains of a possum her dog just killed, she has a real tough decision to make.

Save him against her father’s wishes? Or let him die?

From the moment she looks into his eyes her heart is lost, and she decides to try it – no matter the cost to her. But when Ike the possum’s cover is blown, she struggles to find the power in herself to get past the price he has to pay.

International
Bidding is open until February 1^st 9.30PM GMT
Bidding is in POUNDS (£)

Day 12 - Item 4

From Catherine Knutsson a first chapter critique & signed ARC of Shadows Cast By Stars

Catherine Knutsson lives on Vancouver Island, where she can be found writing, riding horses, and wandering the wilds.  Her first novel, THE SHADOWS CAST BY STARS, will be published June 2012 by Atheneum/Simon & Schuster.

From Catherine: My strengths as a critiquer, in the past I served as an assistant editor for a small spec fic magazine with a literary bent (it's called SHIMMER), and I taught singing for years, so I've got a good eye (ear!) for voice and building authentic-yet-tension-filled relationships between characters.

SHADOWS CAST BY STARS

Old ways are pitted against new horrors in this compellingly crafted dystopian tale about a girl who is both healer and seer.Two hundred years from now, blood has become the most valuable commodity on the planet—especially the blood of aboriginal peoples, for it contains antibodies that protect them from the Plague ravaging the rest of the world.

Sixteen-year-old Cassandra Mercredi might be immune to Plague, but that doesn’t mean she’s safe—government forces are searching for those of aboriginal heritage to harvest their blood. When a search threatens Cassandra and her family, they flee to the Island: a mysterious and idyllic territory protected by the Band, a group of guerilla warriors—and by an enigmatic energy barrier that keeps outsiders out and the spirit world in. And though the village healer has taken her under her wing, and the tribal leader’s son into his heart, the creatures of the spirit world are angry, and they have chosen Cassandra to be their voice and instrument….

Incorporating the traditions of the First Peoples as well as the more familiar stories of Greek mythology and Arthurian legend, SHADOWS CAST BY STARS is a haunting, beautifully written story that breathes new life into ancient customs.

International
Bidding is open until January 31^st 10:30PM GMT
Bidding is in POUNDS (£)

Day 12 - Item 2

From MG author Marissa Burt a 10 page critique of a MG manuscript.

Marissa Burt writes middle grade fantasy and is represented by Laura Langlie of the Laura Langlie Literary Agency. She grew up in Portland, Oregon, and drifted eastward, living in Colorado, Illinois, Tennessee, and South Carolina, before coming back home to the Pacific Northwest.  Along the way, she studied Sociology, Ancient Languages, and Theology and clocked hours as a social worker, barista, 5th grade teacher, bookseller, faculty assistant, and reference librarian. But not all at the same time.  Marissa now lives in the Seattle area with her husband and three sons where she enjoys time spent around family, friends, and good books.

Her first novel, STORYBOUND, releases on 4/3/12.

From Marissa: 

“As far as strengths as a critiquer, I think I can offer my personal experience of the writing and revision process as well as being a Faculty Assistant for graduate level coursework. Hopefully this combination will interest some people!”

International

Bidding is open until January 31^st 9.30PM GMT
Bidding is in POUNDS (£)

Day 9 - Item 1

 From Write Dreams accomplice Marieke a FULL critique of a YA novel.

Marieke (pronounced Mah-ree-ka) is a YA writer, professional dreamer, and proud-to-be geek.

She wants to grow up to be a time traveler. In preparation of that, she spends way too much time watching Doctor Who and searching for stray TARDISes. In the midnight hours of the day Marieke is a storyteller, and all her stories – ranging from literary to fantasy – have a sprinkling of magic to them. Whether it’s histories with a twist, epic fantasy, or magic realism, she loves to write stories that bend the line between reality and imagination. She's been a slush reader for several years, which makes her feel at least somewhat qualified to offer this critique.

In her own words: When I critique a manuscript, I'd like to do a full read through first, to get a sense of the story and the characters. Based on that, I'll write you a detailed reader's report with overall comments on plot development, characterization, and consistency of voice. I tend not to focus on technique so much, but if I notice something is off, I will mention it and sometimes use a few pages to illustrate my point with line edits. Once I've sent you my comments, I am happy to discuss it further and answer any questions you might have.

International 
Bidding is open until January 28th 9.00PM GMT
Bidding is in POUNDS (£)

Day 8 - Item 3

From The Class 2k12 and amazing collection books, critiques & gift cards!

CHAINED PLUS a 10-page manuscript critique from Lynne Kelly

LETHALLY BLONDE by Patrice Lyle

ONE FOR THE MURPHYS by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

AURACLE PLUS a 10-page manuscript critique from Gina Rosati

AND

10-page manuscript critique from Caroline Starr Rose

10-page manuscript critique from Katherine Longshore

10-page manuscript critique from Kathryn Burak

AND Gift cards from Kimberly Sabatini $25 gift card to B&N & J. Anderson Coat’s a $25 gift card to Powell's bookstores.

US only
Bidding is open until January 27^th 10PM GMT
Bidding is in POUNDS (£)

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Day 8 - Item 2

From author Kat Zhang a 5000 to 10,000 words critique!

Kat Zhang is an avid traveller, and after a childhood spent living in one book after another, she now builds stories for other people to visit. An English major at Vanderbilt University, she spends her free time performing Spoken Word poetry, raiding local bookstores, and plotting where to travel next. What’s Left of Me–about a girl with two souls–is her first novel and will be released by HarperCollins on 9/18/2012. She is represented by Emmanuelle Morgen of Stonesong. You can read about her travels, literary and otherwise, on her website or check her out on Twitter.

From Kat:

As a critiquer, I have worked in multiple creative writing workshops, as a critique partner for other authors, and as an intern for a literary agent. I can focus on a myriad of different things, from voice to plot development or even as nitty-gritty as grammar and line edits. I'd be happy to look at work from a certain angle, as well--for example, if the author is especially worried about a certain aspect of the writing and wants me to look at that part closely. Whatever the author wants! :) 

Bids up to £30 = 5000 words
Bids over £30 = 10,000 words

International
Bidding is open until January 27^th 9.30PM GMT
Bidding is in POUNDS (£)

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Day 8 - Item 1

By The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment's own Matthew MacNish a query critique.

Since its start in March 2010, The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment has been an invaluable source of information for all of us in the querying trenches, with its examples of queries that worked, the many series on writing, the QQQE Creature Compendium, and of course the countless query critiques by Matthew himself. 

Matthew's query critiques are detailed, insanely helpful, and perfect for anyone about to pick up their manuscript and join the trenches! 

International
Bidding is open until January 27^th 9.00PM GMT
Bidding is in POUNDS (£)

Day 5 – Item 2

From Janice Hardy a 100 page critique of a novel!

Janice Hardy is the author of the fantasy trilogy THE HEALING WARS, where healing is dangerous and those with the best intentions often made the worst choices. She lives in Georgia with her husband, three cats and one very nervous freshwater eel. You can visit her online at www.janicehardy.com, chat with her about writing on her blog, The Other Side of the Story (http://blog.janicehardy.com/), or find her on Twitter @Janice_Hardy.

From Janice: [my] critique style,  I like to look at a manuscript at both the macro and micro level, offering feedback and suggestions on story and structure issues, as well as line edits and craft issues. I focus a lot on POV, show don't tell, and the goal-conflict-complication scene structure (as these tend to give many writers headaches), but I'm happy to look specifically at any concerns the author has.

International
Bidding is open until January 24th 10PM GMT
Bidding is in POUNDS (£)

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International

Bidding is open until January 23^rd 9PM GMT

Bidding is in POUNDS (£)

Day 4 - Item 2

From YA author Susan Dennard a 50 page + query letter critique!

Susan is a reader, writer, lover of animals, and eater of cookies. She used to be a marine biologist, but now she writes novels. And not novels about fish either, but novels about kick-butt heroines and swoon-worthy rogues (she really likes swoon-worthy rogues). She lives in Germany with my French husband and Irish setter, and you can learn more about her crazy thoughts and crippling cookie-addiction on twitter, facebook, or Goodreads. Her debut, Something Strange and Deadly, will be available from HarperCollins in July of 2012!

Susan's critique strengths in her own words:

1) I'm tough. There's no holding back here. If I see something that's an issue (be it a plot hole, an inconsistent character, poor dialogue tags, etc.), I point it out. ALL of it. But...that said...

2) I say it nicely. Writing and reading are so subjective, I make sure to emphasize that all my comments are my opinion. It's up to YOU to decide if you want to listen or not. I've received many comments from crit partners that I've chosen to ignore, and I'm sure they've received many from me that they've opted to ignore. :)

3) I also offer suggestions for how to fix things I think are issues. If I see a flat paragraph, I'll over you ideas for how to amp up the emotion. If I see a character behaving "out of character", I'll write up suggestions for how I think the character would act. Sometimes, it's impossible to see our own issues--much less come up with solutions! Oftentimes, an outsider can spot things and find ways to fix problems that you're simply too close to the story to catch.”

International 
Bidding is open until January 23rd 10.00PM GMT
Bidding is in POUNDS (£)

Day 2 - Item 2

From MG author Marissa Burt a 10 page critique of a MG manuscript.

Marissa Burt writes middle grade fantasy and is represented by Laura Langlie of the Laura Langlie Literary Agency. She grew up in Portland, Oregon, and drifted eastward, living in Colorado, Illinois, Tennessee, and South Carolina, before coming back home to the Pacific Northwest.  Along the way, she studied Sociology, Ancient Languages, and Theology and clocked hours as a social worker, barista, 5th grade teacher, bookseller, faculty assistant, and reference librarian. But not all at the same time.  Marissa now lives in the Seattle area with her husband and three sons where she enjoys time spent around family, friends, and good books.

Her first novel, STORYBOUND, releases on 4/3/12.

From Marissa: 

“As far as strengths as a critiquer, I think I can offer my personal experience of the writing and revision process as well as being a Faculty Assistant for graduate level coursework. Hopefully this combination will interest some people!”

International

Bidding is open until January 21^st 10.00PM GMT
Bidding is in POUNDS (£)

Day 1 - Item 2

From YA author Ryan Graudin a 50 page critique!

When Ryan's not writing and drifting around the globe, she enjoys hunting through thrift stores and taking pictures of her native Charleston, SC. Her novel LUMINANCE HOUR, the story of a Faery Godmother who falls in love with the prince she’s forced to guard, is due out with HarperTeen in 2013. You can find more about it on her blog: http://ryangraudin.blogspot.com/

From Ryan herself:   

“A fair warning: I'm a harsh, sometimes even brutal critiquer as my critique partners will tell you. I look to bring out the best in a piece: character development, setting and language. Bid at your own risk!”

(As Ryan is currently knee deep in edits herself, it might take a little longer for her to get back to you.)

International 
Bidding is open until January 20^th 10.00PM GMT
Bidding is in POUNDS (£)