WIP Diagnostic: Is This Working? A Closer Look at a YA Fantasy First Page

Critique By Maria D'Marco

WIP Diagnostics is a weekly column that studies a snippet of a work in progress for specific issues. Readers are encouraged to send in work with questions, and we diagnose it on the site. It’s part critique, part example, and designed to help the submitter as well as anyone else having a similar problem.

If you're interested in submitting to WIP Diagnostics, please check out these guidelines. 

Submissions currently in the queue: Three

Please Note: As of today, critique slots are booked through October 24.

This week’s questions:

1. Are you connected to the main character enough to keep reading?

2. Are there too many character names introduced to keep them straight?

3. Do you have enough setting to ground you in the scene?

4. Is this opening compelling enough to believe the entire story will hold your attention?

5. Is the pacing on point or does it feel slow?

Market/Genre: YA Fantasy

On to the diagnosis…

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com