Writers and those who may know...

[hossenpepper]

Does anyone here have an opinion on these two sites?

http://www.manuscriptcritique.com/

http://pred-ed.com/

Specifically, the first site is a guy advertising his connection to Steve, and I am wondering if he is worth a hoot or just riding some coat tails. The second one I am interested to know if the information is legitimate or just someone with an axe to grid.

Anyone that has any info would be greatly appreciated.

[Moderator]

I've asked Steve about this and technically, the guy is not misquoting but he is greatly stretching the truth as he is not someone Steve has worked with recently in any capacity.

Can't speak to the second link as I'm not familiar with them at all.

[Bryan James]

I'll read and legitimately (notice I spelled that correctumly) critique your MS for a double cheeseburger.

Maybe two.

Credentials or Results?

~BJS

[hossenpepper]

I've asked Steve about this and technically, the guy is not misquoting but he is greatly stretching the truth as he is not someone Steve has worked with recently in any capacity.

Can't speak to the second link as I'm not familiar with them at all.

Ms Mod, thanks for asking Steve. I appreciate it greatly and wanted to reiterate this beyond pressing the "Thanks" button.

Does Steve have any opinion as to the level of quality of the work he did for Steve? I can understand it may have been many years, beers and tears since then.

I will limit my requests to this, FYI, as I know yours and Steve's time is extremely valuable. Many thanks in advance for any light you can shed. If not, I can more than appreciate that.

[hossenpepper]

On a side note in this thread I wanted to say something as to why I started it (not that anyone cares, but here we go).

Part of the reason I came here is I had finished Under the Dome and felt inspired to get back to my writing after many years of schlepping away doing tech manuals and such as a part of my job. The many parallels of what I knew of Steve's life made me realize that I too could be a writer if I was willing to take the chance, be honest, and do the work. I missed "On Writing" when it came out (Actually I went back to school and my schedule didn't allow for "fun" reading for a two year period). Reading the posts here convinced me to pick it up this weekend. I finished it in one day. I couldn't put it down. It seems to me like it may have been the hardest book he ever wrote in many ways. The advice there is unbelievably valuable and inspiring for someone thinking of taking the chance or looking to get better. I have started a new story that I think could be a novel length work and after hearing some comments from many people about the snippets I gave them anonymously, I feel like I should move forward with the work. That inevitably lead me to the fact that I know two things about getting published: jack and $h!t. This of course lead to me doing some research and finding these sites and this post.

In short, I came here seeking inspiration, advice and to know more about my favorite author. In addition to these things I have discovered good people, friends and a moderator absolutely committed to the fans and the works of this great, regular guy. Thanks again to you all.

If you are a writer of any sort, but especially fiction, you simply must read this book. It is amazing how Steve is able to impart things in a real, understandable way.

I will stop at that and short of asking to be Steve's pen pal, though I am still holding out for sauna buddy or cooking class partner....

[JohnDalglish]

Hi,

Good luck with your writing!

Indeed, seconded about On Writing - apart from being instructive and entertaining, it's the most inspiring book I've ever read.

I just finished a re-read of Misery and I had completely forgotten how many tips etc for the aspiring writer were in it, so check out Misery again IMO!

Long days and pleasant nights

[Moderator]

Does Steve have any opinion as to the level of quality of the work he did for Steve? I can understand it may have been many years, beers and tears since then.

The editors he has worked with have been employees of the publisher or in one case, his agent who had previously been an editor with one of Steve's publishers before going out on his own. This person is not someone Steve worked with on a regular basis. I don't recall if he put this in On Writing, but in general he is leery of editors or proofreading services that charge money and advises people to be very cautious about dealing with them.

[hossenpepper]

Hi,

Good luck with your writing!

Indeed, seconded about On Writing - apart from being instructive and entertaining, it's the most inspiring book I've ever read.

I just finished a re-read of Misery and I had completely forgotten how many tips etc for the aspiring writer were in it, so check out Misery again IMO!

Long days and pleasant nights

John, do you write? I also noted an apparent refined knowledge of "axology" so may I assume you are also a musician?

I was in a band for awhile and did solo gigs myself. Did an album, self supported tour and cut a couple of royalty deals. It wasn't much though and dried up after a few years. We never got the record deal, though and after teh initial pressing of 5,000 were gone, we said that's it.

I won a couple of young writer contests several years back and it came with a prize and publishing in the local paper, which I guess means I technically have been paid and published for writing. I have done a ton of writing for fun, poems and songs and even a few short stories and the beginnings of a novel on which I hit a wall. I am in IT and have written thousands of pages of technical documents, white papers, training guides, manuals and educational curriculum. But, I have never gotten serious about writing fiction and took the leap. Even before I read "On Writing" I felt like you had to be serious about it if you were going to do it and that half-a$$ing your way through it is a disservice to the craft. I suppose this has been what has made me afraid. The fear that because I couldn't dedicate my focus to it, I couldn't be any good. And if I did have to focus on it, I will just fail when I HAVE to perform. The entire reasoning is irrational and it took a few occurrences, reading Under the Dome and finding the SKMB for me to say the hell with it and just do it with a serious heart and a gleeful mind.

I have passed around the first 5000 words of my story to some friends who are of high respect as to their powers of literary analysis and their opinions of a good story. I made sure to present it as something I had been given and asked to pass on for critique so as not to bias the waters. All have said they thought it was very well written and had a story that sucked you in right away. There were a couple of suggestions, mostly things that would get fixed on a rewrite anyway, but across the board it was very positive and each asked to read more when it was available. I suppose I passed it around so early in the writing because I needed to hear I wasn't wasting my time. I thought it was good, but I just needed some sliver of acceptance. I suppose that is a bad way to look at things, but I just needed a spark to get going. Moving forward, I don't care. If you don't like it, well there's always V.C. Andrews!

[hossenpepper]

The editors he has worked with have been employees of the publisher or in one case, his agent who had previously been an editor with one of Steve's publishers before going out on his own. This person is not someone Steve worked with on a regular basis. I don't recall if he put this in On Writing, but in general he is leery of editors or proofreading services that charge money and advises people to be very cautious about dealing with them.

Wise words to live by! Thanks a ton!

Please inform Steve that I have decided to call my first novel "ZESTFUL"

[fushingfeef]

I thought Stephen King's first editor was his high school newspaper editor, back when Steve wrote the sports page? You mean that guy is still alive?