Why having honest feedback is so important

I'd be the first to admit, my writing is very close to my heart. It is a part of me, a way to communicate and showcase stories and ideas. What it isn't is polished and perfect without the help of editors, beta readers, and critique partners

Before anyone thinks of publishing their work, they should make every effort to ensure it is free of any errors or completed to the best it can be. The first step is having someone look at it with a critical eye. This is where writing groups and critique partners and groups come in.  They can give you the insight and feedback you need to make your work a cohesive and thrilling read.

No matter if you've been in the industry one year or ten or twenty, if you have one book or one hundred books. If you do not have the right people to give you the harsh truth of your writing you will struggle. Keep in mind a writing career is one where you must continually work toward improving your skills and connecting with your readers with stories which are fresh, exciting, and entertaining. 

How do you do this if you grow complacent, or perhaps you put on blinders and pretend you are doing great? 

You can't. 

Let's start at the beginning. You've written your book. Great. Are you ready to publish? No. You're far from it. 

So what do you do? What's the next steps? Edits? Revisions? What do they even mean? At  what point do you say you're satisfied? 

Your self edits and revisions are important, and should be done with care. You want to be thorough but let's be honest, you aren't going to catch everything. So, what you want to do is simple. Do you self edits, the revisions, work the book to where you're happy with it and then -- this is the scary part -- put it before your critique or writing group with a massive vat of red ink. 

Then you sit back with a notepad and wait. You may be asking for what? After all, you've spent weeks polishing this manuscript what could be wrong with it? What your readers will see may be different then you envision and as such, you have to be prepared for this. 

So allow yourself the chance to get your work the necessary feedback before it goes to the editor or publisher. Let your peers point out areas of weakness, of passive writing, of scenes which don't make sense or a character who is flat. Soak up their feedback and don't get discouraged. 

The critique or writers group you work with is a valuable resource. They will give you the honest feedback you need, not necessarily what you want. Having someone point out a weakness in your book before it hits the market can only benefit you. It was something I struggled with myself. I got used to having those around me who worked with me give me only positive feedback and when the chance arose to get a more in depth and critical look at my work came, I took it. 

I truly believe it was the best move I made because the book is growing, developing, becoming a much more intense story. It's becoming the story of two people who want the same thing but the deck is stacked against them. There's depth and a sense of recognition to the characters. Things I would not have seen if not for the tireless and brutal honesty of my critique partners. 

There is value in working with others to get your book ready for the next phase of the publishing journey. Your book will be all the better for it, your editor will love you and you may even find your readers are twice as eager to get into your book. 

Honest feedback is ultimately worth more than endless accolades from family and friends who only see the person they care about and don't wish to hurt.  

Reach further, put aside pride, and you will find your writing becomes the jewel you know it can be.  

Structure in my Writing

Structure in my writing.  I tried to write an outline for one of my stories once.  I used the Hero’s Journey by the late great Joseph Campbell.  I then shuffled a Tarot deck and drew cards to help me structure the plot.  But I didn’t WANT to outline.  What I wanted to do was write the story.  I’ve read a slew of books about writing, and the basic premise is to ask two questions:  What does my character want?  What or who is keeping hir from getting it?  So I guess my books grow organically from this premise.  I have it in mind when I start and it’s the overarching story, and all the other characters have goals they want to reach, but something or someone is keeping those characters from attaining it.  In a trilogy of novels which is coming out sometime, one of the characters, Master Sergeant Gorsuch wants his men to reach their enemies’ nest and destroy it, but there are many obstacles they must overcome.  The Empress wants the people of her realm to be prosperous and happy.  What will she have to do in order to attain her goal?  

Another structural element I use is the chapter.  I use it because very often the story I’m writing is for either NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) or one of the Camp NaNoWriMos, I use the division of the chapter to help me keep track of my word count, which is very important when you are trying for a word goal for the day.  My word goal is usually 2000.  It’s easier for me to count if I round up.   This enables me to almost have a little short story within the novel.This time though, I got too stressed out, so had to drop out of Camp NaNo.   I readied several manuscripts for submission, then returned to writing my WIP with renewed vigor.  Now that I was no longer writing it for the competition, I could relax and write until the words for that way ran out.  I have a tee shirt that reads:”The voices are back.  Excellent.”  That’s how I write.  A voice in my head tells me what to write.  Actually, I dictate, because I have a Dragon, which is voice recognition software.  I’d been dreaming of it for decades, so when the opportunity came along to nab one, I took it.  It cuts my actual typing time down by at least a half.  It doesn’t eliminate it completely, because I must have a strange accent or something, because it renders a lot of my speech as gobbledygook.  I was raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is one of the centers for broadcast journalism, because we have no regional accent.  We speak perfect American Standard English, and this is how I was taught to speak my native language.  

Some of the words I must type are exotic, either because they are terms of art, or I made them up out of whole cloth because they are the names of aliens.  But back to structure.  We have the basic premise, which is what does the character want and what will keep hir from getting it, and the story within a story.  

Rita

Are we truly alone?

The notion of an author sitting in a small, cramped space pounding out word after word in near darkness is one we have come to recognize. Perhaps, its one we have even come to accept and expect from those who take up the pen.

But is there any truth to it?

Isolation is a single part of being a writer. When writing we don't typically surround ourselves with other people. It is a mechanism to ensure success, and it lends itself to some misconceptions. Writers do not do it because we are anti-social but because it is the natural path to productivity and meeting the goals we set. After a period of time, it becomes second nature, and we simply continue it.

The word, isolation, however, does not necessarily mean we are sitting in a cramp, dark little room with endless cups of cold coffee and crumpled paper. No, there are times when we are sitting in a crowded space working on our projects, our focus on the story. Segregation does not require one to be separate from others, it can be a state of mind.

I have met several authors who find working around others to be too distracting. They are often drawn from their craft by other conversations, interruptions, and other distractions. Isolation, for them, is the only way to write and it is a truth they've learned the hard way. For these authors, it is a vital part of ensuring success, but for others, they find success in a different form of separation.

For example, J K Rowlins wrote The Harry Potter books - in a coffee shop. Being a public space, it is safe to assume she was not alone. Yet, her ability to meet the quotas and deadlines she had set for herself within the limits of her location and time is truly impressive. Her environment was noisy, crowded, boisterous and yet she managed to create an amazing story we can all recognize. Physically, she was part of a crowd, mentally, she was isolated and focused.

There are moments for each of us where we are writing while we are engaging with others. Even in the most minute way. For some of us, however, true isolation is needed. Where we set aside the time to write when the house is quiet, the day is done, and perhaps we are alone while everyone else sleeps. Every author is different.

You may say, there are some writers who spend their time in a crowded office working on their writing, and this is a prime example of isolation whilst included. As a professional one needs to understand their writing habits and curate healthy mechanisms to ensure deadlines can be met. Those who spend their time surrounded by others in the office setting have learned how to work within the confines of their environment. It is not something you can simply do, you have to learn how to recognize distractions and how to tune them out to ensure you're able to work.

Maintaining your Mental Health

I am not a medical professional and do not make any diagnosis or recommendations for treatment. This post is a direct connection to my own experience and thoughts. 

Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting, struggle, like the long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven by some demon one can neither resist or understand - George Orwell!

The above quote carries such a weight of truth. It is a struggle, a fight to get the proper words down in the face of a nameless demon we often times never understand. But just as writing is a struggle, maintaining our health can prove to be a challenge. 

I know of some authors who write with an added challenge, an added burden on themselves and it is far too easy to lose ourselves into the dark abyss of something we can neither see nor share. To be honest, pushing through when a writer suffers from anxiety or depression can be quite hard. 

With over 322 Million people worldwide suffering from Depression alone, it may be a safe assumption there are writers out there who are struggling with their mental health and meeting the challenges of their chosen career. It is even more important, knowing the statistics, we as creative beings take the time to maintain our mental health regardless of what we do. 

I have and still suffer from bouts of depression and anxiety. It has been an incredible battle to keep motivated and energized to write, to engage in the creative process to write. More so when one understands, when in the depths of our mental health issues, it can feel as though the world is sitting upon our shoulders and there is no motivation, no interest in the things we would normally take comfort in. 

When it feels like work to simply get up out of bed, the last thing one wants to do is sit down at the computer. However, if one is serious about their writing career, then pushing through the negative energy is necessary. Speaking only for myself, I can say it is incredibly powerful and destruction when dealing with anxiety and depression. One almost feels alone and isolated even in the embrace of those we are closest to. So, how do I deal with these issues and maintain some semblance of my mental health?

Having checks and balances in place are the first step in overcoming my anxiety and depression. Recognizing the signs of a downward spiral before it becomes too late has allowed me to reach out for support. Now, I do not mean having someone hovering over me, checking in to see if I feel okay, or ensure I'm not doing something harmful. No, I oftentimes will implement a system of rewards, breaks, and adjusting goals can and have all helped. Allowing myself to accept me is a major part of it. It allows me to meet my goals, and accept when I cannot. There is a certain positivity to it, a certain self-awareness and confidence I have found. 

I have sought professional help, and giving myself permission to do so has been a huge step to helping to overcome the shadows and demons. My writing has in its own way, become a major part of maintaining my mental and physical health. It has given me outlets for emotion, and a chance to disconnect from the stark realities which drive the darker thoughts.

We as a society need to understand and respect there are issues we cannot always see with a person. Respecting in ourselves and in each other allow society as a whole to heal and better recognize we are all human, flaws, scars, and all.