Manuscript Critique Services
  • Home
  • Editors
  • Services & Rates
    • Submission guidelines
    • Terms of service
    • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • FAQs

Writing and Editing Tips for NaNoWriMo

10/29/2013

0 Comments

 
Our favorite time of year is almost upon us! 'Tis the season of pumpkin pies, turkeys, and best of all NaNoWriMo! This year, the MCS editors have dared each other to take on the 50,000 word challenge, so we thought we'd share our top writing and editing tips to help you along with your own NaNo projects.  So get your laptops ready and fat-pants on (hey, we plan on eating a LOT of candy this month) and lets get ready to NaNo!

TOP TIPS

PAULA: "Start with an outline. It doesn't need to be detailed and you don't have to follow it if you don't want to, but it's nice to have a map when you suddenly find yourself lost."

JESS: "Turn off your internet. If you're stuck for the next word, sentence, or plot point, checking Twitter is not going to help you. If you find yourself engaging in the endless Twitter/Facebook/email loop of doom, try one of the apps that will turn off the internet for you.  I use Mac Freedom." 

TARA: "If you have trouble connecting with a character, try getting into their head by playing songs they'd listen to or by having them answer fun, social-media style surveys. "

ELIZABETH: "If you're stuck on a scene, move on to the next one; you can always come back to it later. The Writing Police won't turn up at your door if you don't write your book in order. I'm forever writing scenes out of sequence, as it prevents boredom and gives me some breathing space to work out why the other scene isn't working."

PAULA: "Send your inner editor on vacation. When you're producing words at a rate of 1700 a day, they're not all going to be great. That's totally okay. Like I heard author April Henry say once: "You can edit crap. You can't edit nothing."

JESS: "If you're having trouble killing off your inner perfectionist - a must for drafting - try word sprinting with friends. See how much you can write in 30 minutes (or 45, or an hour) and then check in on Twitter to report your word count. Or if sprinting against others doesn't work, try Write or Die. If you stop typing for too long, this program will punish you with a reminder, a loud noise, or--in Kamikaze mode, which I find quite motivational!--by deleting your words!"

TARA: "Change your scenery. When you are stuck on a scene, go outside, to your favorite cafe/public hangout, or simply change rooms." 

ELIZABETH: "Don't know how to start your novel? Don't waste time trying to come up with that killer opening as you'll be staring at your screen for days. Simply skip over your intro paragraph and start with paragraph two or three. Psychologically, it  takes the pressure off trying to come up with that perfect opening and lets you get on with writing the story. You can come back to your opening paragraph(s) later, once you've settled into the flow of things."
We hope you found our tips helpful! Best of luck with your NaNo projects--do tweet us at @MS_Critiques to let us know how you're getting on! And while you're busy typing away on your NaNo project, now is the perfect time to get feedback on your other WIPs, so why not send them to us for a professional, affordable critique? We offer a range of services from 10-pages critiques to full line edits, all at reasonable prices!  Check out our Services and Rates page for more information. 
0 Comments

First Contest Winners

10/13/2013

0 Comments

 
Thanks so much to everyone who helped us spread the word about Manuscript Critique Services! We had loads of entries for our first contest and we are so excited that you are excited! 

The winners have all been contacted, and they are:

Grand Prize: Agent Submission Package
Melody Simpson

10 Page Critiques
Abigail Johnson
Reem Adel Eid
Tara Turley Creel

If you didn't win, we still really appreciate your support - and we hope you'll submit to us anyway. We think our rates are pretty reasonable. We've gotten great, happy feedback from our early clients, and you can read testimonials from our critique partners. Right now we all still have room in our schedules, but that may not last long! So check out what we offer and then submit! We can't wait to work with you. 

0 Comments

Manuscript Critique Services launches today!

10/1/2013

60 Comments

 
Picture
We’re excited to announce that our new freelance editorial service, Manuscript Critique Services (MCS), is now open to submissions! Because we’re in the party spirit, to celebrate we’re running an epic giveaway, with three 10-Page Critiques and an Agent Submission Package up for grabs.

ABOUT MCS

MCS is an editorial service run by authors Tara Kelly (Harmonic Feedback), Elizabeth Richards (Black City), Jessica Spotswood (Born Wicked), and Paula Stokes (Venom (as Fiona Paul), The Art of Lainey), specializing in Middle Grade, Young Adult, and New Adult novels.  As authors, we understand how important it is to have expert feedback on your manuscript, but at a price that you can afford. That's why we have come up with a range of services that will help you at every step of the publishing process, from query critiques to 'Big-Picture' and line edits, all available at wallet-friendly prices. 

Check out our services and rates

THE MCS EDITORS

We’re four traditionally published authors with a total of eight books between us and another six on the way. Collectively, our books have sold at auction in major deals, won prestigious literary awards, and have had the film rights snapped up by leading Hollywood studios. In the past we've worked as editors, journalists and educators, and as authors we have worked closely with editors at Penguin, HarperCollins, and Macmillan. We're looking forward to taking all those years of experience and using them to help make your manuscripts better, because we're not just passionate about writing; we love working with other writers. There's something really exciting about coming across that stunning story concept or compelling voice that truly deserves to become part of a book. For us, critiquing a manuscript and then seeing that manuscript sell is every bit as exciting as typing 'The End' on one of our own novels. 

Check out our full biographies

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the launch of MCS we're running an international giveaway!

Rules

  • Open internationally
  • You can enter as many times as you like
  • Winners will be drawn at random using Rafflecopter on October 14, 2013
  • Winners must redeem their prizes by December 31, 2013
  • Prizes can not be exchanged
  • Entrants under 18 years old must have a parent/guardian's permission to enter
a Rafflecopter giveaway
60 Comments

    Archives

    January 2019
    January 2016
    December 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013

    Categories

    All
    10-page Critique
    Agent Submission Package
    Editing Tips
    Editing Tips
    Giveaway
    Minute Masterclass
    Minute Masterclass
    Nanowrimo

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.