Youwriteon
Encyclopedia
YouWriteOn was launched in January 2006 as an scheme to help new writers get published. It is sponsored by the Arts Council of England.
Members of the site upload the opening chapters of their novels to be peer review
ed and rated based on a variety of criteria: character
, plot, pace & structure, use of language, narrative voice, dialogue
, setting
, theme
and ideas.
On the first day of each month the five highest rated chapters receive a free professional critique
. The best are then forwarded to the London agencies Curtis Brown (literary agents)
and Christopher Little (JK Rowling ’s agent).
Due to the success of the YouWriteOn, various other organizations have set up similar sites along the same lines, most notably the publisher HarperCollins
which is launching their own version – authonomy.com – in 2008.
Runners Up
Children's fiction:
Runners Up:
in 2008.
Third place winner in the children’s category (2007), Bob Burke, secured a deal with The Friday Project
for his book The Third Pig Detective Agency.
The Bufflehead Sisters by 2nd place runner-up (2007) Patricia Delois was the #1 recommended novel in Maine Sunday Telegrams '10 must reads for Christmas', and was described as 'the most stunning work of imagination published by a Maine author this year'.
Members of the site upload the opening chapters of their novels to be peer review
Peer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
ed and rated based on a variety of criteria: character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, plot, pace & structure, use of language, narrative voice, dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
, setting
Setting (fiction)
In fiction, setting includes the time, location, and everything in which a story takes place, and initiates the main backdrop and mood for a story. Setting has been referred to as story world or milieu to include a context beyond the immediate surroundings of the story. Elements of setting may...
, theme
Theme (literature)
A theme is a broad, message, or moral of a story. The message may be about life, society, or human nature. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and are almost always implied rather than stated explicitly. Along with plot, character,...
and ideas.
On the first day of each month the five highest rated chapters receive a free professional critique
Literary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...
. The best are then forwarded to the London agencies Curtis Brown (literary agents)
Curtis Brown (literary agents)
Curtis Brown is a literary and talent agency based in London, UK. It was founded in 1899 by Albert Curtis Brown.-History:...
and Christopher Little (JK Rowling ’s agent).
Due to the success of the YouWriteOn, various other organizations have set up similar sites along the same lines, most notably the publisher HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
which is launching their own version – authonomy.com – in 2008.
Book of the Year Award
At the end of each year, YouWriteOn's literary professionals judge the best opening chapters from the previous twelve months and choose six winners: three in the adult fiction category, three in the children's fiction.2007 award
- Overall winner: Guy Saville for The Africa Reich
- 2nd Place: Patricia Delois, The Bufflehead Sisters
- 3rd Place: Michael Alan, The Lorelei Effect
- Children’s fiction, winner: Justine Windsor for Charlie Squires goes Elsewhere
- 2nd Place: Sarah Star, Sharpshooter
- 3rd Place: Bob Burke, The Third Pig Detective Agency
2008 award
Winners- Overall winner: Trilby Kent for Smoke Portrait
- 2nd Place: Barbara Galvin, A Penny On The Tracks
- 3rd Place: Patricia Delois, Penguins In Amsterdam
Runners Up
- A Monster in the Mirror by Nick Poole
- The Armchair Bride by Mo Fanning
- The Sorrowless Field by Perry Iles
- Spinebender by Oliver Conway
- Coombe's Wood by Lisa C Hinsley
- The Long Drop Goodbye by Jimmy Bain
- Franklin's Orb by Derek Haycock
- Somniac by Andrew Wood
- Rendail by Jo Reed
Children's fiction:
- Children’s fiction winner: Wai Ian Mo for Tiger-Mouse
- 2nd Place: David Wardale, Get Santa
- 3rd Place: Edwain Gorty, The Scream Park
Runners Up:
- The Misfits by Benjamin Twemlow
- Money Money Money by Linda Webbern
- Misericordia - The Magog Strikes Back by Steve Hartley
- Rising Fire by Lexi Revellianhttp://www.lexirevellian.com/
- The Starstiller by Gee Askew
Successes
Book of the Year (2007) finalist Douglas Jackson won a six-figure, two-book deal for his novel The Emperor’s Elephant. It will be published by TransworldTransworld (company)
Transworld Publishers Inc. is a British publishing division of Random House and belongs to Bertelsmann, one of the world's largest media groups. It was established in 1950, and for many years it was the British division of Bantam Books. It publishes fiction and non fiction titles by various...
in 2008.
Third place winner in the children’s category (2007), Bob Burke, secured a deal with The Friday Project
The Friday Project
The Friday Project is a London-based independent publishing house founded by Paul Carr and Clare Christian in June 2004. It evolved out of The Friday Thing, an Internet newsletter taking an offbeat look at the week's politics, media activities and general current events, originally written together...
for his book The Third Pig Detective Agency.
The Bufflehead Sisters by 2nd place runner-up (2007) Patricia Delois was the #1 recommended novel in Maine Sunday Telegrams '10 must reads for Christmas', and was described as 'the most stunning work of imagination published by a Maine author this year'.