Looking for a CP / Writing Partner

[TheSpartan]

Hello, Friends,

I'm hoping to find a writing / critique partner--are you? Here's who I am and what I'm seeking:

I've been writing casually for 25 years, everything under the sun. For about a decade--right after college--I was heavily interested in poetry, and I even published a couple in small press journals. Both were dreadful. Then for the next fifteen years I wrote both literary and speculative fiction. I grew up loving science fiction & fantasy, mythology, and anything fantastical, so I always waiver between "literature" and "fantastical." I did submit some of my short stories over the years, but got nothing more than some nice rejection letters. Ah, life.

Now I've finally finished the novel that's been rattling around in my pea brain for the past 10 or so years, and I'd like to talk to someone about the draft--get help perfecting it. Will I publish it? Well, we'll see. Sure, it would be nice, but it's a niche book. Literary fantasy--probably would be self-published only and sell about 3 copies, 2 being to my parents. Besides, I'm more interested in writing something really, really good. Perfecting the vision in my head. I love writing and reading and talking about both. I have a good job and don't need money.

The novel is speculative fantasy in the line of Animal Farm, The Master and Margarita, Watership Down--but set in an alternative American Colonies. I sometimes joke that if Orwell had written The Last of the Mohicans and asked Dostoyevsy to edit it, that would be my book. (Told you it was niche.)

So does that sound interesting to you? Well then, we might be a good fit. Also, if you love Homer, Dostoyevsky, Shakespeare, Orwell, and Tolkien, we might be a good fit, too. If, however, you idolize JK Rowling, Brandon Sanderson, or George RR Martin, we probably would not. (I like Rowling, Sanderson, and Martin, by the way, but they are popcorn, not filet mignon.)

I would love to look at your work, see what you have cooking, exchange book chapters, talk about development of plot and characters, or--if you're at that stage--work on line edits with you. Or just chat about what we're reading or thinking. As I said, writing and reading are my great joys. I will be your biggest fan and cheerleader, and I have a tiny bit of experience (especially in failure) that maybe could help you somewhat. I'm also honest to a fault and promise to tell you exactly what I think and see in your writing (I hope you'll do the same for me, too) so you can improve it, make it shine.

That's what I'm looking for. How about you? Do you think we'd be a fit?

Don
djembeck@gmail.com

[NicoleS]

Hi Don,
Your novel sounds interesting! I'm immediately worried that I'm not high-brow enough for you, but maybe I should let you decide that. I'm currently trying to polish my 80k speculative fiction book before I query. I'd describe it as Jo March goes to space. Let me know if you'd like to exchange chapters.