Top Stories
Stories in Critique that you'll love, handpicked by our team.
Scrooge has entered the building!. Top Story - November 2025.
From the swirling depths of inner turmoil, I grace you with a moment of much-needed sarcasm... I was gifted/tempted with the task of sharing unbiased opinions for a torrent of uplifting pieces of written art that have found their way to my unapproving eyes.
By Lamar Wiggins11 months ago in Critique
Taking a Different Approach on Birthdays. Top Story - November 2025.
Hello November! It's my birthday month, meaning that I'm a Scorpio, if you're into that sort of thing. One of the best traits about my zodiac sign is that I'm competitive and want to succeed in life. I love celebrating my birthday, which happens to be on November 13. In case you're curious how old I'll be. I'll be turning 38 years old. If you look at my profile picture on here, you must be thinking that I don't look my age and you're right. I've been mistaken for a high school student and a college student. I'm fine with that and looking youthful works to my advantage. You've heard the saying, "Black don't crack." It's another way of saying that black people don't show any signs of aging. As I near 40, I've since outgrown birthday parties. The last time I had a birthday party was at home after school and 14. Nearly 25 years later, someone throwing me a party, while the gesture is admirable and with good intent, I don't feel the need to dress up and attend my own party thrown by someone else. I turned 18 in 2005 and my friend at the time took me out to miniature golf, then had my birthday dinner at Olive Garden. Besides, who doesn't love their endless breadsticks? The staff surprised me with a chocolate cake. After that, my friend and I went to Best Buy, and I chose my first country CD. That album was Toby Keith's Honkytonk University. I couldn't wait to go home and listen to it. I wore that CD out on a daily basis, because no songs from that album were skippable. It was so good and had since fallen in love with country music. Unfortunately, I ended my friendship with my long-time friend and classmate in 2021 after nearly two decades, due to his anti-gay views. I came out to him in the summer of 2012, several months after I came out of the closet. We're no longer friends, but that was one of the best birthday memories I've ever had.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 12 months ago in Critique
If Great Dead Writers Were on Facebook - 3. Top Story - August 2025.
I have started these series with the Russian writers and then thought why should I have all the fun alone (thanks to Raymond G. Taylor for the idea to turn this into an unofficial challenge!). So I'm opening it up for others who would like to see if they can bring dead writers into the modernity through their imagined Facebook or other social media posts.
By Lana V Lynxabout a year ago in Critique
If Great Dead Writers Were on Facebook - 1. Top Story - August 2025.
I've had a great (in my humble opinion) idea today: What if the great writers from all over the world before the Internet's time had Facebook accounts? What would they write about? Would they probe or crowdsource ideas for their novels, short stories, and plays? Witness events that could give them food for thoughts and plots? Boast about their new books just published?
By Lana V Lynxabout a year ago in Critique
Desolation Row. Top Story - June 2025.
Introduction This is for Annie Kapur's "Sing Us the Song of the Century" Challenge, which you can find here: I don't normally make more than one entry to a Challenge, but I will have two in this one. Even Bob Dylan has so many "story songs" that take you somewhere else, and Jimi Hendrix's cover of "All Along The Watchtower" would be my choice if I were limited to a 7" single and we have Hedrix's guitar and full on vocals (apparently, he was embarrassed about his own lyrics but he lets loose on Dylan's words) but that is not for this story.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred about a year ago in Critique
Not The Editor I Wish To Be . Runner-Up in Self-Editing Epiphany Challenge. Top Story - April 2025. Content Warning.
I am by no means a professional editor. All I can do is alter what I’ve written until my eyes see it has something which isn’t a disaster. So, what I do now, don’t just take it with a grain of salt – take it with the whole damn salt farm!
By Euan Brennan2 years ago in Critique
Nuanced Shades. Top Story - March 2025.
I literally stink at delving into the personal sides of myself where others can see the real me. I don't think that I can actually put pen to paper and let the monster out. Although I believe the liberation would be great for my creativity.
By Antoni De'Leon2 years ago in Critique
Picking the Right Moment to Start. Honorable Mention in Self-Editing Epiphany Challenge. Top Story - March 2025.
You’ve likely heard some of this conventional writing advice before: Start “in media res” A reader can tolerate proportionally as much exposition as the plot has achieved momentum – Stephen King (I think) Begin in the moment and feed the reader details as the plot progresses
By Stephen A. Roddewig2 years ago in Critique
A Writer in Paris . Top Story - March 2025.
A writer in Paris. Do they exist? How does one even get such a title.Or is it just an ‘instagram vs. reality’ fictional character, in a fictional world, Sex and the City type-thingy? It’s got to be a monologue or some sort of identity crisis that someone coins themself within their mind to make them feel like their craft is of great importance -right?
By Natasha Collazo2 years ago in Critique
