Critters^TM Workshop

Weekly Notes

Notes for 26-Mar-2025...


Thanks for the donations, folks!  We are... 13.7% of the way to the fund drive goal with contributions from 36 donors, leaving about $6000 to go.
Thanks especially to

	Mae Carmel Walters
	Brian Cady
	Philip Lindeman
	John S Gabriel
	Sean Masters

for their recent donations to help keep Critters going, especially in light of comcast doubling my costs. Much appreciated!

[See https://www.critters.org/donate.php for more information.]


                                   -+-

Helping the Fund Drive, as usual are sales of interesting books, such as this:

	ALL GROWN UP UNDER A BIG SKY MOON by Craig Strete - $5.99

		ReAnimus Press Store: www.ReAnimus.com/1746
		Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHDBFMK5/?tag=critters3a-20
		 (available in ebook + hardcover + paperback)

	
"Sit here under the big sky moon and I will tell you a story."

"There is no moon in this hospital room," Rainbird's father said solemnly. He shaded his eyes and stared up at the harsh lights hanging over the hospital bed.

"Then I will tell a story in which there is a moon. So big and so huge that even a foolish father can see it," said Rainbird.

A collection of 18 short stories about Native Americans from celebrated Native American author Craig Strete. Some might feel like Childrens stories, but they are so full of feeling they are definitely for adults too.


[Disclaimer: Ye Olde Critter Captain also runs ReAnimus Press, sales from which help him keep Critters going as a free site.]

                                   -+-
Woohoo!  Congratulations to...

	- Richard Zwicker, whose (Critter'd) book, "The Sum of Its
	Parts" is now out in the current issue of Water Dragon
	Publishing. {Thanks to everyone who critiqued the seven
	"Frankenstein, Detective" short stories and title novelette.  }

	- Frank Baird Hughes, who sold his (Critter'd) short story,
	"The Oneiromantic Sheep" to Radon Journal. {Thanks to all who
	commented and critiqued!}

	- Douglas Kolacki, whose (Critter'd) short story, "Gynoid
	Angels of the Convergence" is now out in the current issue of
	The Worlds Within.

	- Frank Baird Hughes, whose (Critter'd) short story, "The Path to
	the Cornmill" is now out in the current issue of The Colored Lens.


Please report your Woohoo!s via the www.critters.org/telldaworld.ht web page.


                                   -+-

This week's Most Productive Critter award, for 3 critiques (at time
of judging), averaging almost 1400 words each, goes to...

	Chris Maxwell

To redeem an MPC, visit:  www.critters.org/usempc.ht

Congratulations!  To everyone else -- Crit early and often!

(For an explanation of the MPC award, see the www.critters.org/award.ht page.)

                                   -+-

Recommended Reading...
One of the best writing books - Secrets from the 6-time Best Editor
Hugo Award Master, Ben Bova: THE CRAFT OF WRITING SCIENCE FICTION THAT SELLS 
https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1144
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Critters Workshop
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This week we have... [get from https://www.critters.org/private/mss.php ]...
                                                 
     Title                      	Author
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Week of 26-Mar-2025 (Crits due 2-Apr-2025):
 F   Evangeline, Chapter 6              Brian Sellnow -#31784
 SF  Jalopy                             Matthew D Ross -#31785
 H   The Messiah of Lake County Chapter 2-4  Dawson M Hollingsworth -#31786
 F   The Cactus and the Spider, Chapter 1  KL Wooderson -#31787
 SF  The Plunderers                     Ryan D Twombly -#31788
 F   Demon in the Dark                  Benton Reno-Cobb -#31789
 F   Onlyborn: Chapter 1                Chris Owens -#31790
 F   Servo Chapter 1                    Robin Lingg -#31791
 SF  The Scarlet Beast                  Nick Antonoglu -#31792

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Recommended books on writing:

THE CRAFT OF WRITING AND SELLING SCIENCE FICTION by Ben Bova
	ReAnimus Press Store: https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1144
	Amazon: https://Amazon.com/dp/B006MAZPEI

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SPECULATIVE FICTION OPENINGS By (Critter member) Robert Qualkinbush
	https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1184 | https://Amazon.com/dp/B007O272ZI

STAYIN' ALIVE - A WRITER'S GUIDE by three-time SFWA President Norman Spinrad
	How things really work in the art and commerce of publishing
	https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1179 | https://Amazon.com/dp/B007SIC4I8

EXPERIMENT PERILOUS: THE 'BUG JACK BARRON' PAPERS by Norman Spinrad
	(A 99cent essay on SF and writing)
	https://ReAnimus.com/store?item=1180 | https://Amazon.com/dp/B007MF3MS8
 
Because you might enjoy it... DEAR AMERICA: LETTERS HOME FROM VIETNAM by Bernard Edelman (ed.)
The bestselling book and basis for the Emmy award winning documentary now available in ebook edition!
http://reanimus.com/1413
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Pieces up for critique in other workshops...

In the lit workshop - https://critique.org/lit :
 L   The Great Divide                   Ethan Cunningham -#31654

In the mystery workshop - https://critique.org/mystery :
 M   The Library Club chapters 1, 2     Don Oestreicher -#31726

In the nonfiction workshop - https://critique.org/nonfiction :
 NP  I *Experience*, Therefore I Am     Robin niCathain -#30061

In the script workshop - https://critique.org/script :
 SC  It Happened One Christmas          Robert W. Ross -#31694

In the kids workshop - https://critique.org/kids :
 YS  The Adventures of Jack, The Rabbit  Emmanuel Agyei-Boatey -#31578

In the comics workshop - https://critique.org/comics :
 CG  Magna. logline/ synopsis           Brent Claridge -#28885

In the western workshop - https://critique.org/western :
 W   Currently Untitled                 Aleksandr Vincente Hoang -#30472

In the video workshop - https://critique.org/video :
 VS  The Gallery of Henri Beauchamp     Jay DeTalente -#21424

In the music workshop - https://critique.org/music :
 MP  The Shade Riders and Nocturnal Ned song  Beth Zurkowski -#21675

In the photo workshop - https://critique.org/photo :
 PH  Tea and Gossip                     Sandy Kulhavy -#30875

In the art workshop - https://critique.org/art :
 AH  Peppermint Girls                   Brian Sellnow -#31527

In the apps workshop - https://critique.org/apps :
 GM  Uptown Valkyries                   Arthur Sankey -#31757

In the website workshop - https://critique.org/website :
 WW  Charles Gull creative projects blog and website  Charles Gull -#31783

In the critters workshop - https://critique.org/critters :
 F   Evangeline, Chapter 6              Brian Sellnow -#31784
 SF  Jalopy                             Matthew D Ross -#31785
 H   The Messiah of Lake County Chapter 2-4  Dawson M Hollingsworth -#31786
 F   The Cactus and the Spider, Chapter 1  KL Wooderson -#31787
 SF  The Plunderers                     Ryan D Twombly -#31788
 F   Demon in the Dark                  Benton Reno-Cobb -#31789
 F   Onlyborn: Chapter 1                Chris Owens -#31790
 F   Servo Chapter 1                    Robin Lingg -#31791
 SF  The Scarlet Beast                  Nick Antonoglu -#31792
----------------------------------------------------------------------

You might also like... THE LIVING LABYRINTH by IAN STEWART AND TIM POSTON
Elzabet sticks her hand into an alien flower - and you won't believe what happens next!
https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1517

Standard notes:

HELP:
If you need help with anything, see https://www.critters.org/help -- there
are FAQs and a form to ask questions.

HELPING CRITTERS:
Critters is donation funded & volunteer run, so if you'd like to
help out with our current fund drive or otherwise, please visit
https://www.critters.org/donate.php -- Thanks!!

HOW TO SEND CRITIQUES:
Remember to send the critiques directly to me, critters@critique.org, so
I can forward them to the authors _and_ give you credit for your effort.
Please send only one critique per mail message (makes it easier to
archive).  Please make sure the "#" symbol and manuscript number are in
the email Subject: line, like Subject: #1234.  (Conversely, if you want
ol' Aburt to personally read the message, i.e., it's _not_ a critique,
don't put a "#" in the subject or I won't see it.  Also -- put my current
anti-spam code word in there: see https://www.critters.org/antispam.ht .)

You may also send your critiques via https://www.critters.org/webcrit.ht .

Note that all critiques will be available to everyone to read the next Saturday.

DIPLOMACY:
Remember, authors and critiquers, we're all friends here.  Be polite.  Be
considerate.  Be tactful.  You can say you thought a story was drivel in a
courteous way.  Try to point out the good and the bad; offer alternatives
if you can.  Never, ever, attack the author -- only the story.  Authors:
Remember that some reviewers may lack tact.  Try to be understanding,
but if you get any that you feel are just plain mean-spirited, too short
to be of any use, or too "feel good," let me know and I'll withhold the
reviewer's "credit" for that story and/or cajole them into something
more insightful.  See https://www.critters.org/diplomacy.ht for more...

CRITIQUE LENGTH:
If you want to send a short critique that you know is too short for
credit (200 words or less of your own meaningful content) please put
"NC#" in the Subject (NC=No Credit, like Subject: NC#1234) -and- say
something like "not for credit" inside your critique.  (Remember also that
for MPC purposes, a critique must be 300 words or more.)

CHATTING:
Comments -other- than critiques (such as discussion of the critiques,
or Woohoo! announcements, or chit chat) should be posted to one of the
official Critters discussion forums (See the https://www.critters.org/newsgroups.ht
web page for full info, guidelines, etc.)  Don't post stories or critiques
(mail those to critters@critique.org).

QUOTING:
Please pare the ms. down if critiquing in-line (don't quote the whole ms.!).
Other format rules are at https://www.critters.org/format.ht .

EVERYTHING'S ON THE WEB:
Past reviews are on the web page.  The current week's manuscripts are
also there, as are prior mss. and even some rewrites.  There's a Master
Page Index (site map) with tons of links to common items.

AUTHORS:
Authors for this week -- if you aren't getting email'd critiques from
me (as they come in) within a couple days -- ask me and we can verify
I'm sending them to the correct address.  (Send me a phone# in case I
can't get email to you.)  Check the format of your story ASAP to make sure
it's all there and readable.

EMAIL ISSUES:
If you want to change your email address or preferences (# mss. emailed,
SF/F/H type, or whether you get the huge critique batches at week's end),
point your browser to https://www.critters.org/admin.ht .  Please don't
ask me to do this by hand, it's quite a chore!  (E.g., if you're going
on vacation and want to suspend mail from me -- do this before/after
your trip.)

BACKUP SITE:
If you're unable to reach www.critters.org to get manuscripts, I've set up
an emergency backup site at https://backup.critters.org where you can get the
week's manuscripts (but not much of anything else :-).  Speaking of backups --
don't forget to back up your own manuscripts so you don't lose them!

QUITTING:
If you want to quit or go inactive, drop by https://www.critters.org/admin.ht .

DONATIONS:
Critters is funded by donations, so visit https://www.critters.org/donate.php
if you'd like to help out.

Because you might enjoy it... DON'T GET CAUGHT by KATE WILHELM

https://reanimus.com/store/?item=1433

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