WRITERS' LEAGUE OF TEXAS
formerly the Austin Writers' League
Critique Service
Critique Service
Does your work need polish?
The Writers' League of Texas offers its members a professional critiquing service for fiction, non-fiction, and children’s writing. Submit 20 pages of your work, and you will be matched with a published author, in your genre, who will provide a written critique within 3 weeks.
For works of fiction, the critiquer will consider these possible points of critique:
- Hook (Is the reader drawn immediately into the story or character? Does the opening make the reader want to finish the novel?)
- Protagonist(s) / Antagonist(s) (Vivid, interesting, convincing?)
- Secondary Characters (Well-developed?)
- Structure (Does the story move at an effective pace, flow smoothly from narrative to dialogue?)
- Dialogue (Natural? Interesting?)
- Setting (Does the reader experience the time, place, and mood? Does the setting enhance the story or intrude?)
- Plot (Is it unique? Is the story line consistent?)
- Originality
- Style
- Conflict (Is the story free from predictability?)
- Mechanics (Neat? Proper manuscript format? Free from grammar, spelling errors?).
Those authors reviewing nonfiction manuscripts, will take into account:
- Hook (Does the reader want to finish the article/book?)
- Tone (Does the reader feel patronized or part of a discussion? Has the writer created a one-on-one relationship with the reader?)
- Interest (Is the material presented in an interesting, intriguing way?)
- Type (Informational, how-to, profile, historical, inspirational, humor or satire, travel, personal experience, investigative?)
- Mood (Humor? Serious? General?)
- Structure (Is the material presented in a logical progression? Is it organized? Is there a beginning, middle, and end?)
- Style (Is it natural for the writer?), Unity (Is there a singleness of purpose, consistency of theme?)
- Substance (Is the material too thin, lacking in facts - or too dense, too many facts? Is the topic thoroughly researched?)
- Ending (Has something special been saved for the end? Is there one ending, not two or three?)
- Mechanics (Neat? Proper Manuscript format? Free from spelling and grammar errors?)
The authors who critique children’s writing will also think about appropriateness of vocabulary and story for the targeted age group, including:
- Point of View (Awkward?)
- Main Character (Sympathetic? Three dimensional? Engaging?)
- Plot (Plausible? Tight?)
- Story
- Setting
- Voice (Inconsistent?)
- Are there areas that overwhelm or slow the reader down?
- If the manuscript rhymes, is there also a story, is there a reason for the rhyme, is the rhyme especially creative?
- In young adult novels, is the voice exceptionally strong, spellbinding?
- Does the story move quickly?
Manuscripts are critiqued anonymously. Submit 20 pages of your manuscript, a cover letter with your name and contact information, an SASE for return of the manuscript and critique, along with $60 to:
Writers' League of Texas
1501 W. 5th St., Ste. E-2
Austin, TX 78703
Note: If the 20 pages you’re submitting are not the first 20 pages of your manuscript, submit a one-page synopsis up to that point. If your material fits into a genre other than fiction, nonfiction, or children’s (i.e., screenwriting), please e-mail or call ahead to see if the League is able to critique your particular work.
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