Time May Not HEAL All Wounds, But…
Posted on: March 28, 2014
- In: writing
- 2 Comments
If you saw my last post about my disappointment in the critiques I received from an editor and a literary agent on the first fifteen pages of my novel a couple weeks ago, you know I was ready to quit writing. I recently read their comments again, and it’s amazing how differently I can see things with a little time buffer. Okay, so I’m not ecstatic that they didn’t love my pages and ask for the full manuscript, but they did give me some helpful suggestions to strengthen the opening of TWO FEET, NO SHOES. Further, they clarified what wasn’t working in my synopsis with their feedback as to where they saw problems in story structure. 
Truthfully, the structure is solid, thanks to Larry Brooks and his book: Story Engineering: Mastering the Six Core Competencies. Writing a synopsis, on the other hand, is a skill in itself, and I haven’t totally gotten that down yet.
I’ve started revising, and I’m happy with my re-creation of the first chapters as a result of the feedback I received. It amazes me how I can troubleshoot other writers’ work with such clarity, yet my own can be so elusive.
If anyone else out there has had a setback and is coming out of a slump, or you’ve made it through whatever difficulties you ran into, please leave a comment. I can’t the only writer who has had an experience like this, right?
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March 28, 2014 at 10:29 pm
Sorry to hear about this set back, Trish, but don’t give up! Books/stories are so subjected and we all know that everyone is not going to love what we’ve written. There is an agent / publisher …and readers out there for you! The main thing to remember is – keep writing! Don’t let the rejections slow you down (I know – easier said than done).
Oh and yes, I’ve had slumps /setbacks, but I only allow myself a day to wallow in them – then I move on. I either accept /fix what I’ve been told is wrong (IF I agree), or I let the project sit for awhile, and start working on something else. If we don’t keep it moving – we’re never going to get anywhere. So pick yourself up, brush yourself off and get back to writing!