I read every manuscript carefully, twice, and my critique begins with a detailed reader response. Essentially, I’m telling you how I read your novel. Writing is in part an unconscious process, and writers can often be so close to their work, it can be very hard for them to have a clear sense of what the reader is experiencing. So, the first hat I wear is the one of an astute and experienced reader, essentially telling you what’s on the page and giving you a clear sense, with evidence, of why I read it in this way.
Many of the writers I’ve worked with tell me this is one of the most surprising and enlightening aspects of the critique. It allows them to develop a clearer understanding of the characters they’ve created and the story itself, and to assess whether it aligns with their own intentions. It’s astonishing how often people aren’t really seeing what’s on the page. Depending on how close to being finished the book is, a discussion about this can either open all kinds of hidden potential, or simply make it clear what needs to be cut or developed.
This reading then establishes the context for my in-depth critique, with detailed line comments. My critique will focus, as I’ve said above, on the nuts and bolts of fiction. As a professional writer, I can speak from experience (in a way most book editors can’t) about both the process of development and of revision.
Once you’ve read my critique and looked over my line comments, we will then have an in-depth Zoom consultation to talk about your manuscript more directly and to answer any questions you may have.
If the novel is at a developmental stage, the balance of the consultation will be tipped somewhat more toward what’s on the page, and how the story needs to be approached, organized, and developed. If the book is close to being ready, but not somehow firing on all cylinders, our discussion will focus on what specific elements need to be addressed, and how to do so. Is the book alienating the reader in some way? Are there plot issues? Is it not releasing its essential information strategically? Is it inefficiently or inelegantly structured? I will endeavor to provide clarity on all the essential questions affecting a book’s reception by an agent, editor, or reader.
You can then provide a revision of up to fifty pages, followed by a second Zoom meeting.
If you want to get a sense of my own writing, I would suggest reading my last novel, The Perfect Man.
Naeem Murr 