Let's get some feedback!
I’ve been talking about Sudowrite for a while, specifically how it analyzed my novel Little Aliens. You may wonder what good something like this does when there are human beings who provide commentary and criticism. Which is a good question with an easy answer: humans generally suck at it.
Think about the last time your readers commented on your work. More than likely, you got an “it was good” without any additional commentary. Humans like to spare writers’ feelings, and they’re also pretty terrible about going in-depth with their criticism. It was good is useless. Hell, any comment, good or bad, is useless without additional information. And something like Sudowrite does that.
Even if you never write a single word with Sudowrite, you can have substantive feedback that: 1) understands the need for specificity, and 2) isn’t emotionally invested in ensuring you’re feeling okay. Just look at the way Sudowrite ripped my opening:
Chapters 1 through 4 serve mostly as a travelogue of Lancelot, introducing Smiley the alligator, CD, and the UFO festival. While charming, it delays the inciting incidents. The story truly sparks to life when Alan cuts his arm, and Rosa returns. Condense the early world-building. Bring Alan’s injury or Rosa’s arrival closer to the front of the manuscript to give the narrative an immediate engine.
I thought those chapters were great. Every one of my beta readers agreed. But Sudowrite pointed out the problem.
This is what you need to take your work to the next level.