Monday 16 May 2011

Spying on page 99

     For those who love reading and writing, here's another way to spend time on the internet that isn't on your own work: www.page99test.com.  Writers upload the 99th page of their manuscripts (allegedly) for others to critique.  Although some of the critiques seem blunt or ignorant, others are insightful.  Certainly it's good fun in short bursts to read and evaluate work on such a snapshot - it gives a chilling glimpse of how agents and publishers can judge a submission on very little. You can choose which genre you'd like to read most of, which can minimise guilt if you are wasting writing time on such frivolities.
     A couple of caveats;  I think critiques should be taken on merit - as I have already said, some are not discerning. Also, not everyone is really uploading page 99, I think, as I read a prologue on one page (not usual at page 99...)
     I'm not sure I'm ready to upload my own page 99, however....it turns out mine is mostly backstory...

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