Happy Wednesday!
I keep thinking it's Monday because I didn't work yesterday, and though I said I'd schedule a post Tuesday, I forgot.
It is already the first Wednesday of July! On this day, we insecure writers throw our doubts into the wind and discuss our insecurities, give a little encouragement, etc. Visit Alex J. Cavanuagh, sensei, and stop by the official website to join the fun!
I'm currently participating in AgentQueryConnect's Summer Marathon for the Speculative Fiction group, so I have 3-4 eyes looking at my manuscript at the same time. I'm so glad for it. Hopefully, I can start querying again by the end of the year. I don't want to polish this thing raw, but I do want it presentable and agentable.
It is also my birthday month, yay! I will be in Tennessee for a couple of days of that week, and I look forward to all of my shows and the summer movies coming out that week: Game of Thrones, Insecure, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
This month's optional IWSG question is: What is one valuable lesson you've learned since you started writing?
I learned to not be so stubborn when others critique my work. Not to say the "grow a thick skin bull" people always tell you, because some people can be mean and condescending when they look at your work, and you shouldn't have to put up with that. I'm talking about when people are giving good, honest feedback. I had to learn to handle that, and now I see others struggling with the same thing, so I try to let them know when they need to stop pushing back at critiques they receive. It makes things a lot easier, and reduces your amount of drafts, so LEARN EARLY.
5 comments:
It can be very tough to accept criticism, but that feedback is so necessary. Happy early birthday and I hope your current round of readers provide you with useful feedback.
Mean and condescending feedback is definitely not the same a critical, honest, respectful feedback. Learning the difference is huge, as is being open and listening. Doesn't mean you have to apply any of it, of course. :)
If it's meant to help, we need to be open to those suggestions.
I was off Monday as well so I am all confused today.
Have a great birthday week!
Even honest critiques can hurt an author's feelings, so we do need to learn how to "thicken" our skins and get past that reaction and focus on the work. Easier said than done though.
Happy (early) birthday! Also, best of luck with the queries! That summer marathon from AgentQueryConnect sounds like such a helpful thing to be a part of...
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