Abby Jimenez

You had to be a journalist or a blogger. You had to have a degree of some sort, you know. I didn't think you could just write a book and get, you know, really good at it and write a good book and get published. So I just started writing creatively. It was a really terrible dystopian YA romance that I was writing.

You had to be a journalist or a blogger. You had to have a degree of some sort, you know. I didn't think you could just write a book and get, you know, really good at it and write a good book and get published. So I just started writing creatively. It was a really terrible dystopian YA romance that I was writing.

You had to be a journalist or a blogger. You had to have a degree of some sort, you know. I didn't think you could just write a book and get, you know, really good at it and write a good book and get published. So I just started writing creatively. It was a really terrible dystopian YA romance that I was writing.

Why do you say it was terrible?

Why do you say it was terrible?

Why do you say it was terrible?

Oh, because it was. And I'm telling you, like, it was so terrible. And sometimes people are like, no, we want it. I'm like, you don't want it.

Oh, because it was. And I'm telling you, like, it was so terrible. And sometimes people are like, no, we want it. I'm like, you don't want it.

Oh, because it was. And I'm telling you, like, it was so terrible. And sometimes people are like, no, we want it. I'm like, you don't want it.

You wouldn't even like maybe revise it and put it out there now?

You wouldn't even like maybe revise it and put it out there now?

You wouldn't even like maybe revise it and put it out there now?

No, it was in third person. So it was written. I mean, the whole thing would have to be completely rewritten and it was 300,000 words long. It was complete word vomit. It was terrible. And I queried this to a literary agent who actually got back to me and she was like, you need to get some critique partners. So I was like, okay.

No, it was in third person. So it was written. I mean, the whole thing would have to be completely rewritten and it was 300,000 words long. It was complete word vomit. It was terrible. And I queried this to a literary agent who actually got back to me and she was like, you need to get some critique partners. So I was like, okay.

No, it was in third person. So it was written. I mean, the whole thing would have to be completely rewritten and it was 300,000 words long. It was complete word vomit. It was terrible. And I queried this to a literary agent who actually got back to me and she was like, you need to get some critique partners. So I was like, okay.

So I went online and I searched and I found a site called Critique Circle. And the This site, when people ask me, you know, like, what is your number one advice for budding authors? It's Critique Circle. Because every resource that you can imagine is on that site. They have forums for everything. How to self-publish. How to write, you know, quippy dialogue. Where to put action beads.

So I went online and I searched and I found a site called Critique Circle. And the This site, when people ask me, you know, like, what is your number one advice for budding authors? It's Critique Circle. Because every resource that you can imagine is on that site. They have forums for everything. How to self-publish. How to write, you know, quippy dialogue. Where to put action beads.

So I went online and I searched and I found a site called Critique Circle. And the This site, when people ask me, you know, like, what is your number one advice for budding authors? It's Critique Circle. Because every resource that you can imagine is on that site. They have forums for everything. How to self-publish. How to write, you know, quippy dialogue. Where to put action beads.

You know, how to build tension. Anything you can think of, they have forums for that. And it's a tit-for-tat community where you run your chapters through and people critique it. And then you, in turn, critique their chapters. And in order to get the credits to submit your chapters every week, you have to, you know, do enough critiques to get the points to submit your own.

You know, how to build tension. Anything you can think of, they have forums for that. And it's a tit-for-tat community where you run your chapters through and people critique it. And then you, in turn, critique their chapters. And in order to get the credits to submit your chapters every week, you have to, you know, do enough critiques to get the points to submit your own.