Does your story need a critique?

Okay,
You've written a story/ a book/ a tale that you love.
What's the next step?  Slip it into an envelope and sent it out to publishers?
perhaps.

Or, you might ask a professional in the field to take a look at it and critique it.
You don't want an unpublished writer who will try to turn Your writing into His/Her style of writing.
You don't want someone who looooves your writing and will only give you praise.
You want to find someone who can help you make your work better.  (more publishable, even)

Local writing conferences often offer critiques of your writing by published authors and even by the visiting editor/speakers. Take advantage of them, the cost is low, and they might help solve plot problems.

Or -- There's a guest post over at Morgen Bailey's Writing Blog by the author, C.S. Laken, that asks the question, "Does it Really Pay to Get YOur Manuscript Critiqued?"
Go thou now and read and ponder her words.