You might wonder what I mean by the word
“critiquing.” I think of it as providing “critical
feedback.” Not critical in a negative way, but in an analytical
way. I try to see what the writer wants to do in the work, i.e.,
what the terms and intentions are, and then I try to see where the
work is succeeding or failing. I try to see the gestalt of the work,
the “forest” in addition to the trees. I look at things
like structure, pacing, openings and endings, scenes, voice, and
characterization, and I bring a lot of technical experience to those
areas. I provide a sense of an experienced, educated reader of literary
works. I don't do line editing, though I do read with pen in hand
and mark any punctuation or usage problems, and any typos I see.
I read carefully line by line, while trying to hold the whole in
my head and address the overall work. The following describes a
fairly typical process for manuscript critiquing. Each situation,
piece of writing, and writer is unique, but this will give you a
general sense:
- Initial contact
- Please contact
me by e-mail
or by phone (1-612-920-1896) and tell me what you'd like
in terms of my services and what your writing background
and experience are. And I'm sure you'll have questions for
me.
- If we seem
a potential fit, I'll review a sample of your writing, e.g.
10-15 pages. This initial look will give me an idea of whether
I’m the right person for you, the level of your writing,
and what you might need in terms of editing help.
- We'll communicate
again, and if we decide to proceed, we'll map out a plan
and a time line, and I'll give you a rough estimate of the
projected cost.
- Manuscript
review
- The way I
work is to read the manuscript through once, more or less
as a consumer, to see what is there, to see what my initial
reaction as a cold reader is, and to begin to formulate
ideas. In a second critical pass, I make margin and end
chapter notes.
- Written critique
- Then I’ll
write a comprehensive commentary addressing the issues that
have come up, and making suggestions for revision.
-
Follow-up
conference
- After I’ve
critiqued your work, I’ll mail you my critique along
with your manuscript, and then we can have a follow-up
conversation, either by phone or e-mail, in which we talk
over anything about the work or the critique that you’d
like to discuss.
- There is no charge
for the initial screening process.
- There is a $70
minimum charge for any manuscript critiquing.
- The rate for reading,
critiquing, and discussion of manuscript is $70 per hour.
- The amount of
time I spend on any given project varies according to the stage
of the writing and the needs of the writer.
- I give a rough
estimate at the end of the initial screening. If you decide
to proceed, one half of that amount is due on retainer. Upon
receipt of the written critique, the balance is due.
- Any incidental
costs (phone calls, copy costs, postage) are first cleared with
you and then billed to you. Please include a SASE
with your manuscript
Here
are some examples of fees. Obviously, these fees would vary according
to the needs of the manuscript and the writer, and the amount of
time spent on any given project.
- Up to a 20 page
short story: $180.00
- a 250 page memoir:
$750.00.
- a 400 page novel:
$1400.00
The examples above are given for illustrative purposes only.
Individual projects may require different amounts of time, depending
on the issues, stage of the work, whether it needs extensive line
editing, level of the writer, etc.
Individual
Consultation
Sometimes a person seeks my help
in order to work on a specific project which is not ready for
actual critiquing. Sometimes I can provide direction, suggestions,
and structure. I’m not a writing coach, but perhaps I
can refer you to one. I do work occasionally with writers or
projects that interest me and where I feel I have something
to offer. I prefer to work with writers who have done a good
deal of writing rather than beginners.
Individual Consultation Process:
· Please contact me by e-mail (or phone at 612-920-1896)
to tell me what you'd like.
· If we seem a potential fit, we’ll work out the
details together.
Rates for Individual Consultation are $70.00 an hour.
From
a Published Short Story Writer:
"Paulette has critiqued many of my short stories,
and her incisive input has been invaluable in helping me to re-think
and re-shape my work so that many of the stories have now been
published, most recently in Crab Orchard Review. In addition to
her page notes and typed summary of the major issues to consider,
she also provides me with supplemental lessons and model stories
on areas I need to learn more about, such as point of view. These,
too, have fueled my growth as a writer and shortened the learning
curve. I have recommended her to other writing friends and they
have uniformly been very excited about the results of their collaborations."
From
a short story writer and college professor:
“When
I began working with Paulette two years ago, I had already published
a few stories in literary journals, but I needed a critical, informed
reader to help me revise and refine my stories. I had worked with
four people who offer critiques (one being quite well known for
previously being a fiction editor at a renowned journal), but
I was always disappointed with the result. In a fit of desperation,
I sent the same story to three readers (one of whom was Paulette).
The other two readers offered the types of observations I had
grown accustomed to, mostly affirmations and minor suggestions.
I had been there before. These kinds of critiques neither helped
me refine my craft nor helped me get published. Then Paulette's
critique came, and my search was over. She had the insight to
identify the problem in my approach for this particular story.
She called attention to the point of view, gave me a hand-out
she had composed on the uses of third-person limited point of
view, suggested some stories for me to read, and she did it all
while still affirming my commitment to writing. She sent me back
to the story with a new level of awareness about my own process
of writing.
Now, I send
Paulette a story when I think the story is finished, when I think
the story will never be finished, when I'm proud of the story,
when I'm confounded by the story, or when I simply need an honest,
informed opinion about my writing. She treats every story individually,
sometimes calling attention to minute details, sometimes calling
attention to structural concerns, sometimes asking questions about
my basic approach, such as the point of view I've chosen. In every
critique, I find both a confirmation of what I've sensed is wrong
with a story (but had no courage to change), and a new insight
I hadn't come to on my own. Both types of comments give me the
direction and confidence to go back to the computer to finish,
polish, or reconstruct the story. With her help, I have published
stories in The Notre Dame Review, The Nebraska Review, and The
Other Side. It has gotten to the point that I never send a story
out to a journal before I have first let Paulette offer guidance
and advice.
One thing
I appreciate about Paulette is that she is both a writer and a
teacher. As a writer, she knows the long, arduous process of bringing
a story to completeness. She respects that process, and her comments
reflect this knowledge and respect. As a teacher, she is able
to provide observations and guidance about every level of the
craft: structure, detail, character, voice, etc. And finally,
as a published writer, she provides an awareness of the capricious
nature of editors. I have taken classes with writers who cannot
teach the craft because they work very intuitively. And I have
worked with editors who do not respect and know the process of
writing. Paulette offers a balance that is rare and wonderful.”
From a novelist and NEA grant winner:
“A
decade ago, I took a writing course from Paulette. It quickly
became
apparent to me that she is both an exceptionally acute reader
of
manuscripts and someone who is unusually generous in sharing her
deep
knowledge of how to write well. When I recently decided to revise
a
novel that seemed too complicated and inaccessible to readers,
it felt
natural--and smart--for me to turn to Paulette for her suggestions.
Paulette
again showed her uncanny instinct for zeroing in on problem
areas in my work. More than that, she gave me a sense of how to
approach
restructuring the book so that its story would have more direction
and
power. Perhaps most importantly, there was absolutely nothing
destructive in the process. Though Paulette was candid in addressing
any
weaknesses in my manuscript, she offered her suggestions in a
manner that
increased my confidence that I am really writer enough to get
this book
right. In addition, she offered practical ideas on how to prepare
for
tackling the actual revision and suggested a rough timetable for
completing it.
As I’ve
worked on my revision, I’ve felt focused and optimistic.
I’m very
grateful for Paulette’s part in this. Without question,
she's helped get
me on track.”
From
a poet working on a book-length memoir:
“Dear
Paulette,
You are a gold mine! I'm so thrilled and inspired by your response
to the
new stuff. I was whooping aloud reading your e-mail. It's so rewarding
to
have a reader who gets anything you try, both the hits and the
misses, and
who's got solutions in mind! I feel myself in real conversation
with you
about what I've written.
I've just re-read our entire correspondence and I'm in awe that
your
original suggestions are the answers to many of my questions nearly
a year
later. You seem to know where I'm going well before I figure it
out.”
From
a short story writer and MFA graduate whose first book of stories
has just been accepted for publication:
“Thank
you for your fantastic comments. They are extremely useful, confirming
in some places what I’d suspected, raising important questions
for me to consider in other sections. I very much appreciate your
thoroughness. I’ve had a few other editors and no one so
far gives me the scope and depth that you do. Thank you. Thank
you! I’ll be sending something along again soon.”
From a writer who published her first book, a memoir,
at age 80 and who
is currently working on her second book:
"Paulette
Alden's critiquing my work is one of my greatest blessings. I
like best of all her honesty. She knows when to be tough and I
never doubt her judgment. She is always indubitably right. She
brings out the best in me."
From a
Short Story Writer:
"Thank you so
much for your careful reading of my manuscript. Wow! It's great
because so much of what you found were issues that I knew were
problematic, yet I really had no idea where to go next and you've
given me concrete ideas for how to fix these problems. I'm very
excited to get back to this story and rework it."
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