Home Page › Forums › Fiction Writing › Critiques › Novel Critique Requests › PLEASE TEAR THIS APART–URGENT CRITIQUES NEEDED
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TheShadow.
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March 2, 2025 at 11:29 pm #198912
@esther-c @ellette-giselle @whalekeeper @loopylin @jonas @highscribeofaetherium @raxforge @rae @freed_and_redeemed @hybridlore @elishavet-pidyon @koshka @theducktator @theshadow @the_lost-journal @trailblazer @keilah-h @anyone-else-i’m-blanking
I’m doing something drastic.
Something crazy.
I suppose I shall start at the beginning…
Our youth group is going to a big conference this summer, and we are putting together a fundraiser this weekend.
Everyone in our youth group is supposed to bring a silent auction item…
Several people are talented in woodworking, baking, etc…but what do I have to offer? What do I have that would be unique? Real? Raw, and personal? As I pondered this, the main thing that kept resurfacing was WRITING. What if I put together a collection of stories and Bible verses, straight from my heart (along with a candle, hot cocoa and blankets…I’m planning on putting together a basket for the auction)?
No. I kept hearing these voices in my head. They don’t value your words. You shouldn’t put yourself out there like that. You should just bake some cookies and call it good. Don’t waste your time. Nobody will even read it.
Blah blah blah. Stuff like that.
At church this morning, I felt the Holy Spirit, telling me to do something BIG. I felt a pull to words, a desire to WRITE. Well, I got home, and all my motivation was GONE.
I kept making excuses or all that as to why I couldn’t or shouldn’t write. I kept losing motivation, and my computer even kept glitching out! I started to feel like the enemy was legit trying to STOP ME FROM WRITING THIS!!!
So I got to my computer and just started typing. Digging through old notebooks. Collecting old short stories.
And I realized how powerful this could be.
So far, I’m just piecing this together, poem by poem, old story by old story, cringy writing by cringy writing (lol).
It’s pretty rough, but I really believe that this is a vision God has given me. At this point, it’s not even about the money this would make at the silent auction. I want it to bless whoever will take it home!!!
And here’s where you guys come in. I need help and inspiration and accountability to get these stories done by THURSDAY NIGHT!!! I’m going to attatch the link and I need help to go over and smooth over what I have already. (ignore the bullet points, those are going to be actual stories later)
It’s kind of scattered as of right this second, but I would so appreciate your thoughts!!!!
Every story has a message I’m trying to get across and I want this to truly make an impact on whoever this goes to. So if you could help that would be great <3
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qa_n1eYdAL7HiMCEXjhfcTrhkH5aRq_dHGL2pMH_BZ0/edit?usp=sharing
This lady thrives on the divine grace of Faith and the rich embrace of caffeine.
March 2, 2025 at 11:31 pm #198913Also, this isn’t going to be a novel. More like a collection of works that intertwine somehow.
I mainly just need accountability, but I would love your guys’ thoughts because I want this to be GOOD!!! It is going to a silent auction after all hahahaha
SO please tear it apart as well XD
This lady thrives on the divine grace of Faith and the rich embrace of caffeine.
March 3, 2025 at 2:16 am #198914*Cracks knuckles*
First off, that sounds awesome.
Second, Thursday? That’s a pretty tight crunch, but you can do this. Right? Right.
I’ll read through and give what thoughts I have ect. and (if you’d like) typos/errors I catch. What type of accountability do you want? I can email you daily, you can email me, whatever you need. Enthusiastic peptalking? I can do that. XD
First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)
Fork the GorkMarch 3, 2025 at 7:20 am #198915Oh my goodness! GO FOR IT GIRL!
I’ll do what I can, but I just sat down and stared at the wall and considered the amount of things I must get done this week…. so I may not be able to read everything. BUT! I will try to post encouragement and breathe down your nekc every day until Thursday. XD!
No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.
March 3, 2025 at 8:11 am #198916Yeah…I think mostly I need to write like two more pieces, and then it’s just editing the rest. So hopefully this is doable XDXD *hopefully**
I think I just need enthusiastic pep talking right now, but emailing would help a lot too!!!
That’s totally fine!!! Just don’t let me give up lollll
That’s the main thing I’m worried about, that I’ll give up when this could have been really cool.
This lady thrives on the divine grace of Faith and the rich embrace of caffeine.
March 3, 2025 at 8:13 am #198917You got it!
No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.
March 3, 2025 at 10:17 am #198927March 3, 2025 at 11:52 am #198934Really?? tysmmm that means a lot <3
This lady thrives on the divine grace of Faith and the rich embrace of caffeine.
March 3, 2025 at 12:23 pm #198935@savannah_grace2009
Sara, that sounds like a great idea!! I’ll try to read through it and give some feedback if I have any. You’ve got this!!"Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see Him." ~ C. S.
March 3, 2025 at 12:27 pm #198936Thank you soooo much girl…
This lady thrives on the divine grace of Faith and the rich embrace of caffeine.
March 3, 2025 at 12:36 pm #198937This lady thrives on the divine grace of Faith and the rich embrace of caffeine.
Same. XD
MARCIE! YOU MADE EGG SOUP!
March 3, 2025 at 12:44 pm #198938I read through it and loved it! I think it will really touch the heart of whoever is going to read it. Don’t let the enemy convince you otherwise. If the Holy Spirit is calling you to do this, you can do it. He’ll give you the strength.
My favorites were Story #2, #3, #5, and #6. For order, I would suggest maybe putting the prayer in the beginning, and then alternating between the shorter and longer stories. Something like this: 5, 2, 7, 1, 4, 8, 3, 6?
"Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see Him." ~ C. S.
March 3, 2025 at 5:06 pm #198952First of all, that’s awesome that you’re writing this!!!
Second, I’ll try to get around to reading and suggesting things on this. The homework load shouldn’t be too bad this week so hopefully I’ll have time to finish it.
“Our house is full of ducks!!!!”
March 4, 2025 at 12:09 pm #198978@koshka @ellette-giselle @hybridlore @theducktator @keilah-h @theshadow @anyone-else
Thank you everyone for your comments on the doc!!
The reason I haven’t added anything new is because I moved it all to Reedsy. Reedsy will professionally typeset it all, and have a more professional look to it, and I like Reedsy better for writing.
The point of the doc was mainly just for you guys to catch the little things and give me encouragement and support.
But now, I did a BUNCH of editing and I’d love it if you guys could reed through the thing again, on Reedsy!!!
TRIGGER WARNING!!!
The sixth story has sensitive topics in it, like suicidal thoughts and a suicide attempt. It’s not graphic (in my opinion) and the girl doesn’t do it, and at the end she finds hope and healing. Just know that if you’re sensitive to that, you might wanna skip that one.
Please let me know what you think about order, and the basic themes of the stories!!
https://editor.reedsy.com/s/03UPhqS
This lady thrives on the divine grace of Faith and the rich embrace of caffeine.
March 4, 2025 at 12:23 pm #198982It looks great, Sara! I didn’t read the sixth story, but I enjoyed the other new ones. The order seemed to work pretty well, and I thought it was great that you added an introduction to explain the stories before jumping in. Just one note–the afterword was spelled “afterward” in the doc. Otherwise, I don’t really have any big critiques! Great work!
"Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see Him." ~ C. S.
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