I want to hire a combat veteran to critique a short book I'm writing. Message me!

[Member 75490]

I am writing a fictional story about a soldier in WW2, and would like someone who is both: A) a combat veteran, and B) well versed and researched in WW2, to read over my short book and critique it. I am looking for things such as historical accuracy, cultural accuracy of being a soldier and interacting with others, as well as the accuracy of what it's like to be in a war like I describe in the book.

In addition, I would like the critique to include sentences/parts that you think work well/don't work well, what I can add or change or delete, and any other thoughts you have. You don't have to have experience with beta-reading/critiquing, just a combat veteran who knows a lot about ww2 and can read over my book for me Message me if interested.

Read More

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I am glad that you mentioned "cultural accuracy"....
Attitudes , outlooks , viewpoints , lifestyles , language* were often vastly different in the 1940's than from today.
* Norman Mailer's infamous use of the word "fug" as a stand-in for a better known "F" word in his The Naked and Dead comes to mind....

Also worth considering...
You didn't mention whether or not your soldier was US , German , or of any other nationality....
The above will play a large role in how he thinks , acts , was trained etc....

As far as being in a war....
Combat is very personal and folks will react differently to it.
Speaking from personal experience how I feel about combat now....is different than when I just returned from one of my combat deployments.

Another thing about war / combat...
Much of the time it is mind numbingly boring...and full of little discomforts that can add up
Things like:
Bad chow...little chow.. repetitive chow...or no chow...

Poor quality gear / lack of proper gear....wrong size of uniforms or boots / shoes....

Little to no sleep....

Little to no knowledge of why things are the way things are / a hyper focus on only what it going on in the area that you are in...

Feeling that no one really understands what you are going through...or the lack of faith in the competence of those placed in command...

Speaking of repetitive.... Never ending mundane tasks , repeat patrols , going on and on with the seemingly same actions...
All can lead up to a sense of complacency or an idea of why should today be any different.
Which will lead to mistakes and casualties...

In any event....good luck with your search and writing.
Andy

Edit to add :
Related to the above....

The theater of war will be vastly different with perceptions , attitudes and the like
Just consider how different the Pacific Theater was than the European Theater...
Let alone say just one year.... The difference between June 6th 1944 and 15 August 1944...
Operation Dragoon was an invasion that was just as important , but nowhere near remembered or "storied" as Overlord.
Or how well known is the Aleutian Island Campaign...?

 

[Member 75490]

I am glad that you mentioned "cultural accuracy"....
Attitudes , outlooks , viewpoints , lifestyles , language* were often vastly different in the 1940's than from today.
* Norman Mailer's infamous use of the word "fug" as a stand-in for a better known "F" word in his The Naked and Dead comes to mind....

Also worth considering...
You didn't mention whether or not your soldier was US , German , or of any other nationality....
The above will play a large role in how he thinks , acts , was trained etc....

As far as being in a war....
Combat is very personal and folks will react differently to it.
Speaking from personal experience how I feel about combat now....is different than when I just returned from one of my combat deployments.

Another thing about war / combat...
Much of the time it is mind numbingly boring...and full of little discomforts that can add up
Things like:
Bad chow...little chow...or repetitive chow...

Poor quality gear / lack of proper gear....wrong size of uniforms or boots / shoes....

Little to no sleep....

Little to no knowledge of why things are the way things are / a hyper focus on only what it going on in the area that you are in...

Feeling that no one really understands what you are going through...or the lack of faith in the competence of those placed in command...

Speaking or repetitive.... Never ending mundane tasks , repeat patrols , going on and on with the seemingly same actions...
All can lead up to a sense of complacency or an idea of why should today be any different.
Which will lead to mistakes and casualties...

In any event....good luck with your search and writing.
Andy

Edit to add :
Related to the above....

The theater of war will be vastly different with perceptions , attitudes and the like
Just consider how different the Pacific Theater was than the European Theater...
Let alone say just one year.... The difference between June 6th 1944 and 15 August 1944...
Operation Dragoon was an invasion that was just as important , but nowhere near remembered or "storied" as Overlord.
Or how well known is the Aleutian Island Campaign...?

I appreciate your response. The inetesting thing is, despite not being a military veteran myself, I have already written a lot of the things you mentioned. At least that was how I imagined it would be for some of the time.

For clarification, it's about a US soldier who is about to participate in the Rhine Crossing in march 1945.

Let me know if you'd be interested in reading it over and critiquing it.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I appreciate your response. The inetesting thing is, despite not being a military veteran myself, I have already written a lot of the things you mentioned. At least that was how I imagined it would be for some of the time.

For clarification, it's about a US soldier who is about to participate in the Rhine Crossing in march 1945.

Let me know if you'd be interested in reading it over and critiquing it.

I appreciate the offer.
However...
I have in the past , been hired to read-over works , both books and articles , as well as consulting for TV...
To be honest it wasn't a good experience.
I have been ignored , had my words twisted / taken out of context / misquoted so as if to sound / read like something else.

Please note that I am not saying that you would do that.
I am saying that my experiences in the past , have left me leery of doing this again.
Andy

 

[Aero Denezol]

For clarification, it's about a US soldier who is about to participate in the Rhine Crossing in march 1945.

Company Commander by Charles B. MacDonald is an excellent memoir which covers from Arnhem to the Rhine and beyond. You can buy it for a couple of bucks used.

Death Traps by Belton Cooper is another excellent memoir that goes from St. Lo to VE-Day.

Also, there is a very good Podcast entitled "Warriors in Their Own Words", which covers everything from WWII to present day. You can search past episodes for WWII. It is just veterans talking about their experiences, sometimes in great detail. Each episode is about 40 min.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

A big yes to the book Company Commander...is it a excellent read for sure.
Andy

 

[Member 75490]

I appreciate the offer.
However...
I have in the past , been hired to read-over works , both books and articles , as well as consulting for TV...
To be honest it wasn't a good experience.
I have been ignored , had my words twisted / taken out of context / misquoted so as if to sound / read like something else.

Please note that I am not saying that you would do that.
I am saying that my experiences in the past , have left me leery of doing this again.
Andy

sorry about those experiences. would you feel better about helping me if i sent the final draft of the book to you before its published so that you can approve how your feedback was used? (Or disapprove and offer suggestions for how to fix it)

 

[Andy54Hawken]

sorry about those experiences. would you feel better about helping me if i sent the final draft of the book to you before its published so that you can approve how your feedback was used? (Or disapprove and offer suggestions for how to fix it)

I could do that....
Andy

 

[Member 75490]

I could do that....
Andy

Great, thanks. I'm going to read those books mentioned and finish writing it. I will probably have it ready to read in about 1-2 months from now.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I'll be ready...and looking forward to a new read....
Andy

 

[oldcorpgunny]

I appreciate the offer.
However...
I have in the past , been hired to read-over works , both books and articles , as well as consulting for TV...
To be honest it wasn't a good experience.
I have been ignored , had my words twisted / taken out of context / misquoted so as if to sound / read like something else.

Please note that I am not saying that you would do that.
I am saying that my experiences in the past , have left me leery of doing this again.
Andy

I too have been a "Technical " advisor and found that budgets, personalities (actors) and a general disbelief in what I was presenting, was a real inhibitor to factual, relatable and realistic film storytelling. I still enjoy taking a close look at the ribbons that adorn uniforms in movies, to see if they are accurately placed.

 

[Member 75490]

I too have been a "Technical " advisor and found that budgets, personalities (actors) and a general disbelief in what I was presenting, was a real inhibitor to factual, relatable and realistic film storytelling. I still enjoy taking a close look at the ribbons that adorn uniforms in movies, to see if they are accurately placed.

i plan on making my story as realistic as possible. this is where real combat veterans can help in assessing my writing and if they identify with the realism i try to portray.

 

[oldcorpgunny]

i plan on making my story as realistic as possible. this is where real combat veterans can help in assessing my writing and if they identify with the realism i try to portray.

Just watch Saving Private Ryan, The Pacific and Band of Brothers. They are the most authentic films that actually depict uniforms, weaponry, the chaos and horror of armed conflict. They also show some of the humor and fatalism in war.

 

[Member 75490]

Just watch Saving Private Ryan, The Pacific and Band of Brothers. They are the most authentic films that actually depict uniforms, weaponry, the chaos and horror of armed conflict. They also show some of the humor and fatalism in war.

i have many sources for references, but my own writing needs to be looked over

 

[Ruger Rich]

I am glad that you mentioned "cultural accuracy"....
Attitudes , outlooks , viewpoints , lifestyles , language* were often vastly different in the 1940's than from today.
* Norman Mailer's infamous use of the word "fug" as a stand-in for a better known "F" word in his The Naked and Dead comes to mind....

Also worth considering...
You didn't mention whether or not your soldier was US , German , or of any other nationality....
The above will play a large role in how he thinks , acts , was trained etc....

As far as being in a war....
Combat is very personal and folks will react differently to it.
Speaking from personal experience how I feel about combat now....is different than when I just returned from one of my combat deployments.

Another thing about war / combat...
Much of the time it is mind numbingly boring...and full of little discomforts that can add up
Things like:
Bad chow...little chow...or repetitive chow...

Poor quality gear / lack of proper gear....wrong size of uniforms or boots / shoes....

Little to no sleep....

Little to no knowledge of why things are the way things are / a hyper focus on only what it going on in the area that you are in...

Feeling that no one really understands what you are going through...or the lack of faith in the competence of those placed in command...

Speaking or repetitive.... Never ending mundane tasks , repeat patrols , going on and on with the seemingly same actions...
All can lead up to a sense of complacency or an idea of why should today be any different.
Which will lead to mistakes and casualties...

In any event....good luck with your search and writing.
Andy

Edit to add :
Related to the above....

The theater of war will be vastly different with perceptions , attitudes and the like
Just consider how different the Pacific Theater was than the European Theater...
Let alone say just one year.... The difference between June 6th 1944 and 15 August 1944...
Operation Dragoon was an invasion that was just as important , but nowhere near remembered or "storied" as Overlord.
Or how well known is the Aleutian Island Campaign...?

Very well said. You missed one that got me, crusty butt and the persistent itch.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Very well said. You missed one that got me, crusty butt and the persistent itch.

Oh I well remember the crusty butt and persistent itch....
Damn...that is a great name for a country band...
Crusty Butt and the Persistent itch...
Andy

 

[pharmseller]