Hi!
I've been MIA from AW for a while but hoping to get back! Anyway, I'm seeking beta readers for a contemporary YA fic, weighing in (currently) at 75K. It's undergone a few rounds of basic line-editing, but where I'm really looking for input is on plot, character, voice, etc. issues.
I don't mind if you're harsh. I write a lot, and I write a lot of terrible stuff, so my goal is to figure out what/if there is good stuff. That being said, I'm not too disappointed if someone says "scrap the lot!" In fact, I'm considering letting this one slide as (another) "practice novel," so my primary question to beta readers is first, whether or not this one is worth pursuing, and if so, where the major problems seem to lie.
This novel contains adult language, adult situations, and a fair amount of angst. Below is a query-in-progress FYI. If I decide this book is worth pursuing, then I promise I'll visit query-hell and do my best to fix it up. Until then, here goes:
All Kathryn Evanston has to do is make lists. This is the way she runs her life; the one sane way of organizing an existence that would otherwise become filled with grief and chaos. So in honor of her senior year in high school, when she is finally about to acheive her goal—an assured, bright future at a respectable university despite a very tragic beginning—she only has three more things she has to remember.
First and foremost, she needs to keep her grades up and her concentration high. She can’t fall in love with her philandering idiot of a best friend Linnie, especially when there is zero chance that he’ll reciprocate. That achieved, she needs to get over her crush on her (brilliant, hot, amazing) history teacher, Dr. Masters, and ignore the fact that he keeps looking at her like she’s the most interesting thing on the planet. And finally, she needs to avoid the arsonist.
Because the arsonist, however misguided, keeps reminding her of things. Because of him, she runs into a burning building to save two lives. Because of him, she’s permanently scarred. But she’s also starting to realize that taking risks isn’t always such a bad thing. Dr. Masters might turn out to know more than he’s letting on and Linnie might not be so hopeless. And both of them might be worth the risk—even if she ends up getting burned.
Please PM me with your email or reply to this post if you're interested!!
I've been MIA from AW for a while but hoping to get back! Anyway, I'm seeking beta readers for a contemporary YA fic, weighing in (currently) at 75K. It's undergone a few rounds of basic line-editing, but where I'm really looking for input is on plot, character, voice, etc. issues.
I don't mind if you're harsh. I write a lot, and I write a lot of terrible stuff, so my goal is to figure out what/if there is good stuff. That being said, I'm not too disappointed if someone says "scrap the lot!" In fact, I'm considering letting this one slide as (another) "practice novel," so my primary question to beta readers is first, whether or not this one is worth pursuing, and if so, where the major problems seem to lie.
This novel contains adult language, adult situations, and a fair amount of angst. Below is a query-in-progress FYI. If I decide this book is worth pursuing, then I promise I'll visit query-hell and do my best to fix it up. Until then, here goes:
All Kathryn Evanston has to do is make lists. This is the way she runs her life; the one sane way of organizing an existence that would otherwise become filled with grief and chaos. So in honor of her senior year in high school, when she is finally about to acheive her goal—an assured, bright future at a respectable university despite a very tragic beginning—she only has three more things she has to remember.
First and foremost, she needs to keep her grades up and her concentration high. She can’t fall in love with her philandering idiot of a best friend Linnie, especially when there is zero chance that he’ll reciprocate. That achieved, she needs to get over her crush on her (brilliant, hot, amazing) history teacher, Dr. Masters, and ignore the fact that he keeps looking at her like she’s the most interesting thing on the planet. And finally, she needs to avoid the arsonist.
Because the arsonist, however misguided, keeps reminding her of things. Because of him, she runs into a burning building to save two lives. Because of him, she’s permanently scarred. But she’s also starting to realize that taking risks isn’t always such a bad thing. Dr. Masters might turn out to know more than he’s letting on and Linnie might not be so hopeless. And both of them might be worth the risk—even if she ends up getting burned.
Please PM me with your email or reply to this post if you're interested!!