First Four-Fifty Critique Exchanges

Posted by: @rschibler

@czing That's a great question! I can take a look at stories that are going to Apex - I'll just skip them in the slush pile We have plenty of slush readers, so no worries there.

However, if you're planning to submit to our monthly micro fiction contest, I can't read those as I am the sole judge. You can submit, but if the winner I choose is someone I know well, the top five stories will get passed up to one of the supervising editors.

It would be funny/terrible if a story you thought was great got pushed to another slush reader who hated it LOL. But thanks for the answers here. 

And I don't know how I have never looked into that micro fiction contest. I love writing micro fic.

Anyone up for a swap?

@writhmic I'll swap with you! Would you prefer to read a fantasy or a sci-fi? DM me yours either way!

Anyone up for a swap?  I got a sci-fi opening!!

Sure! Sent you a DM!

After a handful of 100-hour weeks at work, I'm finally getting a breather and dropping to 60-ish hours, hopefully for a few weeks at least. Does anyone want to do a 450 swap? I'm peddling a historical urban fantasy.

@ease I'm down. [email protected]
Mine is either interesting or wtf (Kary's definition, not mine)  

@ease 

I'm down too. @annax

@axeminister

I'm also down if you want to share or swap or whichever.  

I’m down. DM me and I’ll send one back. 

Thanks @axeminister, @annax, @wahlquistj, I've DMed you all!

Posted by: @ease

Thanks @axeminister, @annax, @wahlquistj, I've DMed you all!

@ease, just returned yours. Any other takers?

@wahlquistj I’ll trade with you, if you’d like. It’ll help me get back into doing writer things. 

Posted by: @annax

@wahlquistj I’ll trade with you, if you’d like. It’ll help me get back into doing writer things. 

Great! DM me whenever you’re ready. 

Bumping for visibility as we near the end of the quarter.

We're at the beginning of 2023 Q2, and I have a fantasy story.  Still working the ending, but the beginning is ready to go.  Drop me a DM if you'd like to exchange.

Mark

@markwilx DM'ed you. Also open to exchanging with others.

@ease and @markwilx I'm happy to take a look, I've not reviewed just 450 words before but hope I'll be of help - I'll send you a DM. And I have a 450-word piece if anyone is interested.

Stopping by to report that I exchanged with @joel-c-scoberg and @markwilx and they were both very prompt and helpful (as were @wahlquistj and @writhmic earlier last year).

I keep finding fun areas in this forum.

I'm working on Q2 and my first chapter/section is 523 - story doesn't make sense at just 450 words when the chapter end is so close.  

I'm going to run through it and see if I can tighten it up.  If so, I'll post back for an exchange. I know I can use all the help I can get.

@toddjones I'd love to exchange, and happy to accommodate the extra words. Private message me when it's ready, if you're keen.

I know it’s early into Q3, but I’m second guessing if my current story is worth the push to finish or if I should start drafting another one. Doesn’t help that it’s unlike anything I’ve written before.

Let me know if anyone has some time to take a look at the first 450. Happy to swap - I’m new here but I’ve been Beta reading for years and enjoy giving feedback. 

I will look at it sconn. PM me.

@sconn hi, I’ll give it a read. PM me.

@sconn If you want a third set of eyes, PM it my way, too.

See what happens when you post early in a new quarter? ? 

I'm still open for 450's as well. Maybe I can have a look once you gather all feedback. Or if you're satisfied, I'll look at whoever posts below.

Posted by: @sconn

↑

if my current story is worth the push to finish

Consider the push regardless of the first 450. I've often found the true story only after I finish the first draft & revise accordingly for my 2nd draft. Note I'm a pantser, too often a prancer. 

@jeschleicher yes, ditto! Good point.

I've got the first 450 words of a potential entry for Q3. Well, it's more like 457 words but I'm hoping you'll indulge those extra seven words than make me cut the last half of the final sentence   I'm happy to swap with anyone else too

@joel-c-scoberg feel free to slide into my DMs

@joel-c-scoberg 

I’m happy to read it - PM me if you’d like.