For the past week or so, I've concentrated on editing What is Now: Easter Sunday and When Otis Met Everlyse, and received great critique from my best-worst critic friend. She discovered the miraculous and wonderful world of the Microsoft Word comment feature, and I benefited immensely from her advice! I know I'm probably a few years behind the revolution, but this newly discovered feature has enlightened me to the greatness of Word. Basically, this feature allows her to comment to specific pieces of my work in little comic-word bubbles without disrupting the flow of my original text. It's fantastic.
Another great realization of the week is that revision is a wonderful process - and I will spare you the horror of cliches like "like a snake shedding its skin" or a "phoenix rising from the ashes." But in all honesty, revision may be one of the greatest things I've had to do for class, mainly because I think it might greatly benefit my novel chapters when I revise them this summer.
The last thing for the evening is that I have started work on several short stories outside of my normal genre, mainly because of a writing/revision assignment in my fiction class. I'll keep you updated on the progress of these new ventures.
Bri
Thoughts and prayers are with those at Virginia Tech.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
On Constructive Critique and Demeaning Critique
Hello again.
Today, I received critique on What is Now: Easter Sunday, a short story that was one called Breaking the Bowl. Most were very positive, but there was one that was scathing, I felt, for the sheer joy of being scathing. I couldn't understand why the writer of this critique felt it was professional/helpful to offer NO constructive criticism. But then I found that someone who would go out of his way to be so specifically unhelpful was not involved for the sake of critique.
So that brings me to what I wanted to talk about: in dealing with critique and rejection, grace is required. This guy gets me flustered and I generally feel that he is offering nothing positive. But at the same time, I try to appear friendly, smiling like a wolf with too many teeth. I wonder sometimes if someone who is combative, as he is, is not aggressive toward a genre itself (in my case Science Fiction or Fantasy.) Or simply toward other writers in a class.
While I know I don't like this person for his unhelpful and condescending comments about me and, more importantly, my work, I know that I have to tolerate him. I can take criticism very well, and I like suggestions and critique of my work - but I don't need someone to lay siege to me. While some may say that his critique is light compared to what an editor may someday say, it is difficult to deal with now. Maybe he's a hurtle on my road toward publication. But above all: I know that I have to act with grace, even when he does not.
Which...to be very honest, is very difficult.
Keeping my head up,
Bri
Today, I received critique on What is Now: Easter Sunday, a short story that was one called Breaking the Bowl. Most were very positive, but there was one that was scathing, I felt, for the sheer joy of being scathing. I couldn't understand why the writer of this critique felt it was professional/helpful to offer NO constructive criticism. But then I found that someone who would go out of his way to be so specifically unhelpful was not involved for the sake of critique.
So that brings me to what I wanted to talk about: in dealing with critique and rejection, grace is required. This guy gets me flustered and I generally feel that he is offering nothing positive. But at the same time, I try to appear friendly, smiling like a wolf with too many teeth. I wonder sometimes if someone who is combative, as he is, is not aggressive toward a genre itself (in my case Science Fiction or Fantasy.) Or simply toward other writers in a class.
While I know I don't like this person for his unhelpful and condescending comments about me and, more importantly, my work, I know that I have to tolerate him. I can take criticism very well, and I like suggestions and critique of my work - but I don't need someone to lay siege to me. While some may say that his critique is light compared to what an editor may someday say, it is difficult to deal with now. Maybe he's a hurtle on my road toward publication. But above all: I know that I have to act with grace, even when he does not.
Which...to be very honest, is very difficult.
Keeping my head up,
Bri
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Update and New Things to See
I know a few days have passed since last I updated, but I have a few very good reasons. They are as follows: I finished When Otis Met Everlyse and after a final critique from my critic-friend it will be ready to send to a magazine. I have continued to work through Breaking the Bowl and have finally found a way to lead the narrative so that the story reads very interestingly. The idea is that when the story starts, you will know how it ends, and so the story is just about how the characters will eventually get to that point.
So here is the update for today. I read a few other writer's websites and among those there are some that I think might actually help with all stages of the writing process. Holly Lisle, a published novelist and a great writer for writers has a site dedicated to help writers through various articles she's written, as well as a more focused site where she discusses her weekly podcasts (that's a hint for you to go to iTunes and listen - she's brilliant).
Another very helpful and fun site is Sunday Scribblings, where prompts and idea starters are posted regularly.
Lastly is a site called After the MFA which offers great advice and encouragement to people who either choose to teach creative writing or want to write for a living.
The links to these sites are posted on the right in the sidebar under Sites to See. Hope you enjoy.
Bri
So here is the update for today. I read a few other writer's websites and among those there are some that I think might actually help with all stages of the writing process. Holly Lisle, a published novelist and a great writer for writers has a site dedicated to help writers through various articles she's written, as well as a more focused site where she discusses her weekly podcasts (that's a hint for you to go to iTunes and listen - she's brilliant).
Another very helpful and fun site is Sunday Scribblings, where prompts and idea starters are posted regularly.
Lastly is a site called After the MFA which offers great advice and encouragement to people who either choose to teach creative writing or want to write for a living.
The links to these sites are posted on the right in the sidebar under Sites to See. Hope you enjoy.
Bri
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