Five Stages in Reacting to a Critique

I got some tough advice from my critique buddies this week. One of the chapters of my work-in-progress just wasn't working for them. I went through the usual stages:

1) Numbness and shock - "Really? I can't believe that chapter was so bad."

2) Denial - "But I need these scenes to set up the conclusion. They just don't get it!"

3) Depression - "Sometimes it seems like I'm never going to get it right."

4) Working through it - "What if...? Maybe... I could try..."

5) Acceptance - "They were right. The old chapter didn't move the story forward."

Even though at first it stung a little, after giving their critiques time to settle, I realized they were right.  [It's always a big tip off when more than one person says essentially the same thing.] After some brainstorming, I ended up with a new and much improved chapter. And lots of enthusiasm to continue working on the rest of the novel.

Yay for critique partners!

Critique Group Benefits

Do you have an awesome writing group? If you don't, I hope you get a chance one day to find one.

My writing buddies do so much more than give feedback on my writing. They are great at questioning character motives, finding places where my writing is confusing and ferreting out those sections where what my character is doing just doesn't fit with the story. But they also encourage and support me when I'm feeling down about my writing. (And let's be honest, sometimes writing can drag you down when something is not working, when life events interfere or when you don't get the response you were hoping for.)

I feel so lucky to have not only a family that supports me, but also this circle of writers, who really understand what it is like.

Who supports you in your writing?

And speaking of supporting each other, over at MiG Writers, we're still hoping to reach 60 comments to support the MAGIC (Major Aspects of Growth in Children) Foundation. Please check out our post and consider commenting. You'll have a chance to win a free book (and with so many books up for grabs your odds are pretty good).

The Value of Different Perspectives

Recently, a one of my critique partners pointed out something about the events in the beginning of my latest novel that made her question its believability. Clearly, I hadn't thought about that aspect of story enough. It made me go back, think more deeply, and work out some changes to make the story stronger.

Why didn't I see it myself?

Sometimes I get so immersed in the story I can't see something that's right in front of me. Once I set up my story premise, I accept it and go on from there. I don't challenge it anymore. Even during revisions, when I stop and question everything from individual words to character motivations, I don't always see when one of the ideas isn't working or isn't coming through the way I want it. Hooray for my critique partners! They usually catch those kinds of problems. Thanks, writing buddies.

Revisions Step 2: What to Cut?

One of the big things I need to do with my revisions is to cut some of the length of the novel. I know there are sections where the pacing slows down, or the story gets caught up with subplots, so I'll take a closer look at those.

To help with that, I'm revisiting all the critiques from my amazing critique group MiG Writers. I'm going through them carefully, not for the picky details (those will come later), but for larger ideas that affect the whole novel. Wow - it's so helpful to have a good critique group! My group members put a lot of thought into their comments and I'm taking them seriously.

There's some great advice for editing over at The Blood-Red Pencil. I love the idea of getting a quick feel for the pattern of tension and conflict in a novel by assigning a ranking to sections or chapters and making a graph to see how it looks. Maybe that will help me decide what sections I need to cut (another painful process).

What's your best tip for deciding what to cut?

Eagerly Anticipated Disappointment

My third novel is out getting its first few critiques--always an anxiety-filled experience for me. It's the first test of whether anything about it is any good.

I'm always eager to get my critiques, but after I get them, I read them and set them aside for a while before I act on them. Why? Because there's always that tiny glimmer of hope inside that this time my writing is perfect, but of course it isn't. I sometimes feel disappointed when something I've written doesn't work. After my initial emotional reaction, logic kicks in and I see what I need to do to improve it.

Feeling disappointed is a good thing. It means my critiquers are doing a great job. (Yay Critique Circle!) It also means I know what I need to do next. But it still stings a little.

The Confidence to Take Risks

With the second draft of my third novel moving along so well -- I'm on Chapter 10 and plan to finish it by the end of February -- I'm feeling more and more confident about myself as a writer. Part of it is that I've learned so much through writing and reading. Another part is that I belong to a really great critique group. We've never met each other, but we support each other through highs and lows, and hearing about their acccomplishments inspires me do to more.

One of the things my group has inspired me to do is to take more risks. For me, this includes actually sending out some queries about my completed novels, and to push myself to write about something that is a little bit outside my comfort zone. What risks are you taking in your writing?

By the way, Marcia Hoehne, a published author and ICL instructor, is having a free critique giveaway! Today is your last day to enter.