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Soviet Heavy

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Would you be interested in having a thread where you could submit your writings for critique from fellow writers? Why don't we get a Writer's Workshop thread going, so we can share our experiences and offer each other advice?

How about I start, and hopefully we can get this rolling.

Part of my Warhammer 40K fanfic. A company of Imperial Guardsmen are sent into the lower levels of a massive building complex to root out a horde of traitor guard who attacked the upper levels. We find the company traveling through a tight corridor in the pitch black underground.
Chapter 6: Duel in the Darkness
It was pitch black in the lower levels. Due to the constant conflict across Meridian, most of the power outside of the vital zones had been shut down or rerouted. The abandoned lower levels of the complex were deemed non vital. Elliah wished that they were. She felt like she was inside the Chimera again, trapped in the encroaching blackness, surrounded by people she couldn?t recognize. The only thing lighting their way were the flamers ahead. Their short bursts of promethium periodically illuminated the dark corridors, casting ominous shadows across the riveted walls.

?Keep close by. We haven?t encountered any Hounds yet, but the attack could come at any moment.? Hurst?s voice came over the vox bead. It was eerily quiet down here. Even the sound of two hundred guardsmen sounded muffled by the close air. Elliah wished that they had the night vision goggles distributed to the elite forces, but the munitorium had considered the expense too high for regular troops. So she was forced to wait on the flamer?s gouts for vision.

For nearly fifteen minutes, the Company slowly crept down the hallway before finally coming to a stop. ?Alright, I think we found it. Expect a welcome party for us further in.? That was Merrick?s voice this time, no doubt about it. The gruff persona shone through even a vox bead.
?We?ll move in first. File in after we secure the room.?

They waited for five minutes in total silence. Everyone was tense from the suspense. Finally, the Daredevils re-emerged from the black hole in the wall. ?Room?s clear, fall in and we?ll get started.? said Merrick. The 2nd Company slowly poured into the blackened room. It was far bigger than the narrow corridors, and the entire company easily fit inside. Merrick and Hurst were waiting there, their faces illuminated by their squad?s flamer.

?Okay, we?re going to split into two teams.? said Hurst. ?Half and half, one group goes with me, the other with Merrick. We?ll cover more ground that way without sacrificing firepower. Divide up into your groups.?

?Remer, Alek, you?re with me,? said Merrick. ?Kippler and Vornas are with Hurst. Everyone else, fall in.

?We?re gonna be doing this room by room.? He said, addressing the hundred men now following him. ?Flamers and Meltas to the front, grenades through the doors before we go in, got it? We?re gonna blast every traitor loving dog we see, take no prisoners. If you come across any of the Chaos Marines, fall back and then blast them with everything you?ve got. Got all that? Good, then let?s move out!?
 

Nouw

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I'll be popping in here to learn :). I'm sure other people will post here but right now I don't feel entirely comfortable.

If I had to make two critiques, and I'm not really fit to do so, it'd be two things that are rather minor. Repetition of 'Elliah wished.' Maybe a different way of saying it? The second one is the silence of five minutes, I felt that you could have been a little more descriptive but since the chapter looks rather small maybe that was a smarter idea. I don't know. Other than that, it was a nice read. Bonus points for the setting but that's bias :p.
 

Zhadramekel

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At times like these I really wish you could subscribe to certain threads. As an amateur writer I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for threads like these.

Good work so far though, it'd probably be a bit easier if we knew the context or what came before that but I'm liking it.
 

trollnystan

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Dec 27, 2010
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I wish there was a sub-forum for critique on one's work, but I guess the Powers-That-Be have deemed that impossible due to people exploiting it for spam, etc.

About your excerpt: Very interesting read. Like Nouw, the repetition of "wished" bugged me a little, but other than that it seems like a very interesting story.
 

NotSoLoneWanderer

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I'll be watching. Maybe one day my writings will creep out from my notebook but not today. Not to nit-pick but a company is like *checks wikipedia* A military unit, typically consisting of 80?225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Sorry it was just kind took me out of the story imagining an entire company moving through a hallway when you probably meant a squad which consists of 8-16 soldiers. Short but I felt liked it. Felt immersed in only a short passage.
 

Skin

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No. No sorry, can't do it. If you want a proper critique of your writing join a critiquing website (critters.org). It is just too much to do here and you won't get enough opinions that are worth having.

Now, how about we write out a little synopsis of what our WIP (work in progress) is about. That way we can suggest elements to add to the story rather than just surgically altering the writing itself.
 

Kattaroten

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Zhadramekel said:
...it'd probably be a bit easier if we knew the context...
I think it adds to the feeling of disorientation, it probably wouldn't have been so... errr... well, disorienting if it wasn't for the lack of context. I quite like it.

I have no idea if you were going for it thought.
 

Soviet Heavy

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NotSoLoneWanderer said:
I'll be watching. Maybe one day my writings will creep out from my notebook but not today. Not to nit-pick but a company is like *checks wikipedia* A military unit, typically consisting of 80?225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Sorry it was just kind took me out of the story imagining an entire company moving through a hallway when you probably meant a squad which consists of 8-16 soldiers. Short but I felt liked it. Felt immersed in only a short passage.
I intended for it to be a company, but I get where you're coming from. If I added some descriptions talking about a long procession, cramped and crowded conditions, and a better length of time to describe how difficult it is for all of them to move down the corridor, would that be an improvement?

Nouw said:
If I had to make two critiques, and I'm not really fit to do so, it'd be two things that are rather minor. Repetition of 'Elliah wished.' Maybe a different way of saying it? The second one is the silence of five minutes, I felt that you could have been a little more descriptive
I agree. I also kind of feel that five minutes is a little too descriptive. Especially since nothing else in the sentence keeps that level of detail. If I changed it to something a bit more vague, it might better represent the claustrophobia and tension.


Also, to everyone else, feel free to post stuff! I'm not only willing to take criticism, but I will definitely provide some of my own if you wish!
 

Soviet Heavy

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Skin said:
No. No sorry, can't do it. If you want a proper critique of your writing join a critiquing website (critters.org). It is just too much to do here and you won't get enough opinions that are worth having.

Now, how about we write out a little synopsis of what our WIP (work in progress) is about. That way we can suggest elements to add to the story rather than just surgically altering the writing itself.
Got a synopsis set up, to help give the piece a bit of context.
 

Soviet Heavy

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DeadpanLunatic said:
If you don't mind me popping my head in here real quick, I think this sort of thing would work a lot better in a User Group, of which there are a number already. Try Up & Coming Writers [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Up-Coming-Writers], The Writers Union [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/The-Writers-Union], or maybe the Litterae Club [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Litterae-Club]. Or do a quick search to find the numerous others I'm sure I've missed. Most of these have been dormant for a while, yes, but they give you the chance to tap straight into the source and find a willing audience.
I'll be sure to check that out. The Up and Coming Writers group seems like it might be interesting.
 

NotSoLoneWanderer

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Soviet Heavy said:
NotSoLoneWanderer said:
I'll be watching. Maybe one day my writings will creep out from my notebook but not today. Not to nit-pick but a company is like *checks wikipedia* A military unit, typically consisting of 80?225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Sorry it was just kind took me out of the story imagining an entire company moving through a hallway when you probably meant a squad which consists of 8-16 soldiers. Short but I felt liked it. Felt immersed in only a short passage.
I intended for it to be a company, but I get where you're coming from. If I added some descriptions talking about a long procession, cramped and crowded conditions, and a better length of time to describe how difficult it is for all of them to move down the corridor, would that be an improvement?

Nouw said:
If I had to make two critiques, and I'm not really fit to do so, it'd be two things that are rather minor. Repetition of 'Elliah wished.' Maybe a different way of saying it? The second one is the silence of five minutes, I felt that you could have been a little more descriptive
I agree. I also kind of feel that five minutes is a little too descriptive. Especially since nothing else in the sentence keeps that level of detail. If I changed it to something a bit more vague, it might better represent the claustrophobia and tension.


Also, to everyone else, feel free to post stuff! I'm not only willing to take criticism, but I will definitely provide some of my own if you wish!
Sorry! My mistake then. Yes, it would have helped describing how difficult it is having so many people who are probably tired wearing heavy gear moving through a hallway. A sense of time would also be an improvement. Ah, I see it's Warhammer 40k then. Yup, stress that feeling of cramped-ness. Maybe some soldiers fighting or yelling over a push or a shove to add some emphasis. Have a commanding officer snap and quickly break the fight? Main character says "better to keep my head down and keep shuffling through."...after what feels like hours the marine in front of me stops moving. I snap out of my monotony induced daze and see that the hallway has broken off into a large chamber. A tense feeling fills until it the room until it is almost immediately broken by broken by gunfire. I shoulder my rifle start shooting back at vague muzzle flashes from the darkened alcoves circling the room....or you know...something like that. Don't know much about Warhammer other than orcs and space marines.
 

Soviet Heavy

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NotSoLoneWanderer said:
"better to keep my head down and keep shuffling through."...after what feels like hours the marine in front of me stops moving. I snap out of my monotony induced daze and see that the hallway has broken off into a large chamber. A tense feeling fills until it the room until it is almost immediately broken by broken by gunfire. I shoulder my rifle start shooting back at vague muzzle flashes from the darkened alcoves circling the room....or you know...something
Thanks for the input. As for this piece, I'll offer my own critique. Neat first person exposition for one thing. Not having the enemy be seen helps convey the character's ignorance, which fits with the setting, as most people are unaware of the horrors that the Guard regularly faces.

You repeated "until it" twice in one sentence, but that's more of an editing flub than a writing style mistake. I'd be interested to see where you took this if you expanded it.
 

NotSoLoneWanderer

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Soviet Heavy said:
NotSoLoneWanderer said:
"better to keep my head down and keep shuffling through."...after what feels like hours the marine in front of me stops moving. I snap out of my monotony induced daze and see that the hallway has broken off into a large chamber. A tense feeling fills until it the room until it is almost immediately broken by broken by gunfire. I shoulder my rifle start shooting back at vague muzzle flashes from the darkened alcoves circling the room....or you know...something
Thanks for the input. As for this piece, I'll offer my own critique. Neat first person exposition for one thing. Not having the enemy be seen helps convey the character's ignorance, which fits with the setting, as most people are unaware of the horrors that the Guard regularly faces.

You repeated "until it" twice in one sentence, but that's more of an editing flub than a writing style mistake. I'd be interested to see where you took this if you expanded it.
Thank you. Might start sharing some of my writing...but not today.
 

emeraldrafael

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I dont write as much any more,a nd I get really self conscious about sharing just cause I've always gotten negative reviews or people saying that this is shit and my self-esteem isnt exactly... boundless. But here's what I have up on Quizilla, which is what I link to people on another forum site that I have a team on.