Current Project:Bridled Hearts
Status: Revisions
A writer is on a continual roller coaster.
There are the days when you ride on a euphoric cloud of the words spilling from your brain and fingertips in melodic harmony. Stretching the characters, moving your emotions, and enriching the story. Then there are the days when you are lucky to get a page written whether from outside forces or your own internal locked creativity. Those days and sometimes weeks you struggle with self doubt, fear, and mock your stupidity at thinking you could be a writer let alone a published author.
Then something sparks within again, or someone hands you the key to unlock your doubts and fears. And you're riding on that amazing carpet that takes you to another world and lets you bring that world to life for others.
This past week reminds me of when I was thirteen and my younger brother dared me to get on an amusement ride with him. I don't have a constitution that deals well with things that whirl and twirl. But I wasn't going to back down and let my younger brother prove he was right. So we climbed on the ride, and about three spins in, I was feeling a bit green. I looked at my brother. He was pale, green, and looking ready to hurl. I yelled, "Sing a song." He started singing, "Baloney, baloney how I like baloney." I started laughing and we ended the ride neither one of us losing all the cotton candy and junk we'd eaten. And feeling triumphant.
Last week I sent a story to someone I'd never met to "beta read" my half of the sisters story. It was the other author's usual reader which I thought well and good they would see if the two stories mixed well. In all my years of writing and entering judged contests, I've never received so many scathing remarks, nor had my work so slashed apart. I was in shock before my CP's slapped me around. This came two days after I'd been notified that Miner in Petticoats was up for Western book of the year at Love Western Romances. Then on Saturday, I received a comment on my blog that a reader loved Perfectly Good Nanny and was thrilled I was able to find a place that would publish it.
I trashed the "beta reader" comments. Then I went back through the sisters story, making sure it was the best I could write, and shipped it to the other author today to incorporate with hers and send to the publisher who requested it.
If you don’t believe in yourself, you can't expect others to believe in you. Keep writing!
9 comments:
Wow. You are amazing. And my latest addition to my hero collection. Thanks for this, you're truly an inspiration. Your words have lifted me so high, and I am thankful. *hugs*
Best of luck to you in your press onward. It's all going to be marvelous. :)
(Oh, and I loved the story about you and your brother. Very funny, and an excellent way to capture what you needed to say.)
Hooray for you, Paty, for believing in yourself and your story!
It still amazes me that people think it's OK to slash and burn others' writing (or any efforts). So glad you had your critique partners and other kudos to counteract the toxic comments.
I hadn't thought singing--especially a song about baloney--would help make it through a carnival ride. I'll have to remember that trick.
Congrats on getting the sisters story sent off. That calls for a celebration!
(((HUGS))) to you!
*Blushing* Thanks Katie. I just want writers to remember not everyone will love what you write but if you believe in what you do, you are the the one in the end you have to please.
Thanks, Genene.
Paty -- You bring up an excellent point. The fact is not everyone is going to like everything you write. I've had a terrible review where the reviewer said a book was a "tough" read because of the character's cold approach to revenge. She really did not like the book. Then a few weeks ago, without hearing about the review or any prompting, my daughter's friend closed her eyes and said, "I LOVED that book. It was my favorite."
I think you have to believe in yourself, do your very best work, polish it like a shiny stone and carry its worth in your heart. There just isn't any other way to stay sane. I loved your roller coaster story.
Wow, Paty. It's stories like this that make me wonder what people are thinking when they send such destructive criticism to an author -- and it is destructive, not constructive in any way, make no bones about it. I can't even guess what was going through this person's head as they put together their comments. You're absolutely right that not everyone is going to like everything we write. When you receive something like you described, though, it can be really hard to push past the shock and, yes, the hurt and remember that it's only one person's opinion. Thank goodness you had enough positive reminders to help you put things in perspective.
I agree, Alice. Any writer has to put their best effort in everything they write, otherwise you can't have faith in your work.
Debbie, It's true you have to realize not everyone likes what you do or will be gentle in letting you know. It was another huge reality check for me. If you open yourself up, you have to be ready for any kind of fall out.
Ugh on the beta reader. Did it make you start singing the baloney song?
This biz is a rollercoaster; the ups and downs are dizzying. And appear unexpectedly.
I think someone who's never written a book believes they are doing the author a favor when they tell them what they didn't like about a book. But your beta reader had a responsibility to be objective and tactful. Sounds like she couldn't be.
Kendra, That's the irony, I guess. I thought a beta reader was just a reader. An average everyday person who reads books and gives their thoughts. It turns out the person who read it is a writer. Who should know that if there is something that needs work you comment in a constructive way not make snide and sarcastic remarks.
Sorry that I didn't get to comment earlier, Paty. I'm sorry that the Beta reader was so harsh. I've been both a beta reader and a critique person before, and I see a real difference in the roles. As a beta reader, I think the main focus is story continuity--as a reader, does this work for me? what takes me out of the story? I try to comment on very little. I think perhaps this writer was confused as to her role, but still, it didn't give her any right to be rude. I'm glad you decided to tell your story YOUR way.
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