Amanda Church's Page

1. A familiarity with paranormal fiction - either romance or fantasy
or some semblance thereof. I also like some steamy romance, and have written erotica myself. Not into hardcore scifi, splatter-type horror, or excessively technical crime and thriller type works.

2. Someone who is actively working to get published or is already published. I'm not interested in teaching or mentoring a newbie (sorry). Nor am I interested in correcting someone else's punctuation and spelling mistakes. We all make them, but hopefully you're beyond needing someone else for that by now.

3. Someone who is more interested in an exchange of ideas/help in the big picture - plot, characters, pacing, etc.

4. Someone I can brainstorm with or bounce ideas off (and naturally reciprocate) when I'm stuck or just run out of inspiration.

5. Someone who's in it for the long haul. This isn't a hobby or passing interest for me. I want to improve and eventually get published (hopefully many, many times).

How I critique:

I'm a tough critic, and I expect the same from a CP. I edit differently than I critique, though. In editing, I usually redline with suggestions and keep a separate list of items (usually with references in the markups) for detailed discussions or suggestions about any problems I might have spotted. Depending on my schedule, that could take me a week or two for a whole book, less for chapters.

When I read just to critique, I'm pretty fast. I'll annotate any problems I see or things I really love then write up a summary of my impressions. I try to do this as quickly as possible, particularly if I'm reading in-progress type stuff because I know how important that immediate feedback is. Once I establish a rapport with someone, that immediacy can be, well, more immediate.

And naturally, I love brainstorming, whether it's about my own WIP or my partner's. The fact is, I love talking about writing, throwing around ideas and concepts and what-ifs. Sometimes in talking about someone else's pratfalls you see a way through your own.

What I'd really like is to find a writing friend, someone with whom I can establish a connection, with compatible views and sensibilities. Writing can be very solitary and sometimes there's just stuff only another writer can relate to.

Goals and Ambitions:

Naturally, my goal is to get published, hopefully multiple times. And even more, to have my books sell at least well enough to afford me the chance to continue to publish.