Balancing Critiques

One necessary part of the writing process is sending out your manuscript to beta readers. No matter how good a story may be in your mind, there's no real way of knowing how it will be received until you put it to the test with real live readers. Plus, no matter how many times you go over your manuscript, there's simply a point when you become blinded to its flaws. I've referred to this as living inside the monkey house. It's always best to find out if that manuscript you believe is the complete shiznit...well, isn't in reality just a big pile o' shit.

In the best case scenario, you'll find a well-balanced group of peeps to send it out to. People that have different pet peeves, ensuring they will come back with unique perspectives--point out a myriad of different things that will help round out your manuscript. Worse case scenario--you send it out to a group of people who fail to come back with any kind of constructive criticism. Let's face it. No work is ever perfect--no matter how good. If you receive nothing but positive accolades -- well, first off -- CONGRATULATIONS!! I'm jealous beyond measure. (I can't even begin to tell you how jealous that actually is. LOL.) But most of us are pretty human, and if nothing else, typos will be caught--awkward sentences squashed out of existence, plot holes filled.

Critiques can be a double-edged sword at times, tho. What one reader determines as a problem area, another will take no issue with. In the end, you may be left wondering who's right. Perhaps you see the merits of both sides--so you don't know what the heck you should do.

Well, I wish there was an easy answer to this dilemma. There isn't. Sometimes you simply have to take a step away from the manuscript for a while--come back to it with the two opposing opinions in the back of your mind. A quick read through may highlight one as the better way for you to take your work... then again, it may not. Sometimes, whether or not we have the confidence to make the determination--it simply comes down to a matter of opinion.

When in doubt, I say, TRUST YOURSELF.

It's a scary thing, that. Trusting yourself. No one wants to admit out loud that they've ignored someone's advice because they believe HIS/HER way is better. It sort of comes off as asshole-ish, doesn't it? You've asked your readers for opinions, they gave them, and in the end, you decided to disregard what they had to say on a particular point. I know we all send out critiques with the caveat that the writer can take or leave our comments... but do we really want to be ignored? NO. WE are right.

Well, the truth is...no one is really right or wrong in this situation. Reading is a subjective experience. What may rub one reader the wrong way will totally tickle the fancy of another. This is a NO WIN game. You're never going to be able to please everyone. The only thing you CAN control is satisfying yourself and feeling confident that you've analyzed and broken down each and every comment and taken or discarded all of them in the vein of trying to make your book the best it can be.

It's a hard line to draw, but it's one we all need to make.

Just remember that if you send out calls for beta readers that you should and need to give each and every comment due respect. A person took a lot of time out of their schedule to read for you--and the comments they made are important enough for them to include them in a critique. You may feel the urge to immediately dismiss a particular point as outright WRONG for your book, but I would recommend taking a step back and coming back to it later. Maybe it will hold more water after you've taken a break. Then again, maybe not.

Again, TRUST YOURSELF.

Happy writing, everyone.

BY THE PALE MOONLIGHT is going to go up for sale on October 18th!!! That's only --9-- days from now!!! WHOOT WHOO!!!

Dealing With Crits

Being as I just woke up (whatta slack!) I figured I'd start the day by trying to confuse everyone with a crafty type post. Better to get this fuzziness out of my head HERE instead of when I start poking at FI, right? (g)

I thought it sounded like a good idea.

Okay, so crits. Who needs 'em? What do you do with them once you have them? and What if _all_ of them disagree? WHAT THE HECK DO YOU DO??

Well, let me start out by saying that critiques of your work are very personal things. No matter how much you try to distance yourself from the experience, and no matter how much you say you won't take things too personally, you DO. On some level, you always do. Sure, you get better at it as times goes by, but I don't think any of us can say that a completely negative crit is a fun thing to receive. I think most of us probably close the email and declare, "That person just doesn't get my work!"

Well, I'm telling you, those feelings are natural, and probably healthy in the long run.. BUT, when you simmer down, open up that email again, and open yourself up to the possibility that the critter may have some legit concerns. It's likely that there's something there you can use to make your work better.

As an illustration, I'd like to use my recent experience with my first three chapters. If you think you've received crits all over the board, wait until you hear about this.

I sent it to six readers total -- here's what I received back:

1. This person loved it. Couldn't think of a single thing to change other than minor cleanups.

2. This person felt it was good throughout, but that maybe I should cut chapter one and start with chapter two.

3. This person also felt it was good throughout, but that maybe I should cut chapter TWO and start with chapter ONE. *brows hitting the back of my neck at this point*

4. This person loved it -- hasn't offered any ideas for major changes. She also said the chemistry between my main characters was "smokin'" and that she was so connected to my MC by the end that she felt like she WAS my MC.

5. This person said the writing was good, but that she didn't feel any connection with my MC OR any connection/chemistry between my main characters. Overall, didn't sound like she liked the tone of the chapters either.

6. This person loved it.


Someone pour the vodka! I need a drink!

I have to admit. Even just two years ago, I would have been freaking out by now, thinking my book sucked. But having wizened with experience (heh, right) I had to take a step back and really break this all down.

My first step was to look at the two readers who suggested I cut full chapters. Why such opposing viewpoints? Well, after much thought, hair-pulling, and wallowing in buckets of my own tears (kidding), I think I've come up with an answer.

My book really starts out with a lot of background information. I TRIED not to do a huge info-dump right from the get-go, but I also wanted to make sure readers understood who/what Madison does for a living. My solution was to illustrate it, and make sure I got in the information in the least "info dumpy" sort of way I could manage. The end result? Two good chapters, but two chapters that basically illustrated the same things.

Solution: I'm keeping chapter one and dumping a good portion of chapter 2.

Now, I know as soon as I do this, readers will come back saying they don't understand this or that. It's a complicated business this writing thing is, and I have no doubt that many, many readers will cry foul. The thing is, though, I have to do what's best for the pace of the story. I don't want to confuse readers, but at the same time, I don't want to spoon feed them every answer either. And I certainly don't want to bog down the story by giving them the same stuff twice. I have faith my readers will figure it out. And if not, I'll go back in and make sure they'll get it. That's my job.

Now, on to the chemistry comments. This is by far the harder issue. I don't want anyone to feel a disconnect between my characters, and/or my characters and him/herself. That just sucks, and quite frankly, is my biggest nightmare. (Right after not being able to tell a good story. (G))

What do I do in this situation? Well, naturally you want everyone to LOVE your characters, to LOVE your characters together, and to LOVE reading your book. But is that a reasonable goal?

My answer: NO. It isn't. And it ain't gonna happen. Deal with that now.

There isn't a writer out there who hasn't been criticized for one thing or another. I've read many, many books...and I'm often shocked by the lack of connection I feel for a character and/or story which others have RAVED about, claiming it's their favorite book/character of all time! And I'm quite certain people feel the same way about some of the books _I_ love.

That's OKAY. That's why there are shelves and shelves of books for us to read. You can't please all of the people all of the time.

Learn it. Live it. Love it.

It doesn't make you any less of a writer. Promise.

That said, there does come a turning point where you NEED to listen to these people. If everyone comes back, saying you aren't connecting when you thought you had connected the heck out of your characters...well, Houston, you may have a problem.

You always have to weigh the criticism you receive. But if more people love it than hate it, dude, you're on the right track. Don't let the negative ones bring you down. And I say this fully as a person *cough* who has _given_ negative reviews from time to time. I'm only one voice out of MANY, and just because something didn't float my boat, doesn't mean the world is crazy for loving it. Or that you haven't done your job well. (Wait a minute? Did I just say I might be wrong in my view? Holy hell. Is there a new world order? Nah, I did say MIGHT. (g))

The flipside -- if you receive a round of crits from people saying your work is PERFECT as is? Well, send it out to some more people. Just to play it safe. In my opinion, there is always something you can work on to make even better. Ask any published author who wishes he/she could go back and change this or that. There's ALWAYS room for improvement.

Oh...and the critters who loved FAKING IT as is? OF COURSE THEY'RE RIGHT. Yay to the two of you for getting the right answer!!!!

*Lotsa Confetti!!!*

KIDDING. :)

Happy writing everyone!

I've Said It Before...

...and I'll say it again.

A good crit partner is worth his/her weight in gold.

They make you see things that you've never thought of before. They put the bullsh*t aside and tell it to you like it is.

And in the end, you're better for it!

I love when someone comes in and pinpoints something that has niggled at the back of my mind -- something that I have convinced myself to ignore. IOW, something that indicates I have been living in the monkey house for far too long.

A fresh set of eyes helps me realize that I need to listen to that inner voice a little more and not stubbornly cling to something just because I THINK I can get by with it. The truth is, I shouldn't settle for mediocre. And someone who will call me to the mats on it is someone I want reading my work.

Whoot.

Thanks, Mom!

I've harped a lot about critters and how you shouldn't trust their opinion 100% if they're close to you -- i.e. a good friend or relative. But today I want to say that even though I take such opinions with a grain of salt, they are lovely to have. (g) Of course, after hearing them, I probably need to send out my MS to three new betas -- just to keep my head on the ground. (g)

I spoke to my mom last night. When I originally told her that D.A. wanted revisions to FI, she was actually quite upset. Said she thought my book was great the way it was... that she loved it and didn't think any changes were necessary. Awww, thanks, Mom!

She's been periodically checking up on my progress -- so how much do you think will change? Are you sure you want to do this? It's great the way it is!

No, Mom... I think he has a point. If we could just come to an agreement that we both like...

*sigh* Okay...

Last night I told her we finally reached that point.

Will there be a lot of changes?

Well, yeah... I'd say I'm rewriting 3/4ths of the book, BUT the core story is still there, same feel.

Oh, okay. *silent sigh that came across louder than any words*

THANKS, MOM! :)

OY!!! BE. HONEST.

I apologize for not letting this subject drop, but I'm very passionate about it.

Please. PLEASE...Be honest when you're critting someone's work.

You don't have to be mean, and you don't have to tear them down. But please remember that a person joins a crit group in order to get honest feedback that will help them improve their writing. They do it so that when they take their MS out into the world to shop for agents, they don't get every door slammed in their face.

When you fail to point out problem areas, and instead choose to mindlessly rave about it because you don't want to hurt their feelings, you're doing them a _complete_ disservice. You can cheerlead, but for the love of God, tell them the TRUTH. Isn't that what you want? Sure, compliments are nice...but if you have a legitimate problem, don't you want to know, even if it stings a little to hear it said out loud?

Without too much detail, I'll share with you an experience I just had. I crit a person's (we'll call this person a 'he' so I don't have to continually say "this person") work. It was the first chapter I'd read of his work. I hadn't so much as read a crit of his work done by another person. Basically, I was completely clueless as to where he was in the critting process.

The chapter had some big problems. I pointed them out and made suggestions as to how he could fix them. I pointed out what was good about the chapter and tried to be as gentle as possible. Guess what? He is now scrapping the book entirely. YUP. Wanna know why? Because, as I found out later, he had always felt he had certain problem areas -- even went so far as to say, I think I need help with this and that. Rather than help him with those areas, the people critting the wip said NO... you don't have a problem, this is great. People, IMHO, who KNEW better.

And then I come along and reinforce his concerns by pointing out those very issues. Only, over the past few months, he's become convinced he doesn't have those issues in his writing at all. *bangs head on desk* Talk about a shock to the poor guy.

So, I'm left wondering -- WHY did they do that? Was it cheerleading and a fear of hurting their feelings? Or, as I suspect, was it an attempt to cushion the blows so that they'd receive crits in return? If that's the case, I think it's sad and pathetic.

You're there to receive truthful feedback that will help you improve. Be courteous to the other members in your circle -- give it back.

Clarification

I've heard rumor of some comments being made by another writer regarding my "Check Yourself" post in which I said it's important to surround yourselves with people who will be honest and yes, sometimes brutal, about your writing. Seems I've given the impression that I think that's the only way you'll learn and grow and that those are the ONLY people you should listen to. And well, apparently I've come off as a harsh biyatch who likes to tear people down. OKAAAAAAAYYYYY...BACK UP. (g)

{{One aside -- I've been contacted by MANY of you who agreed with what I had to say. So thank you for not thinking I was some crazy writer hellbent on making people's lives a living nightmare. lol. This post is only to quash these kinds of comments, though I'm sure they'll continue. (g)}}

First of all, that's not at all what I meant. And if you automatically assumed I was talking about you in that post, perhaps that's a clear indication that you DO have a problem. But as I didn't go anywhere near specifics, and only mentioned "a couple of writers" in passing, I'm not sure how anyone would deduce WHO I was talking about.

Second, if you read the post, you know that I listed three specific things to look for. 1. Do your critters ever find fault in your writing? 2. Do they ever point out things that deep down YOU feel need work? 3. Is anyone outside your group listening and agreeing with what's being said? If no is your answer to all three, yeah, YOU have a problem, IMHO.

And finally, if you don't agree with what I have to say on a subject, feel free to speak up. I'm MORE than willing to hash it out with people... not in a throw down, knock-out fight, but a nice civilized debate. Of course, as this is my blog, I reserve the right to stick out my tongue and say "Nuh-uh!!" (G) But, in all seriousness... this is MY blog. MY opinions. I'm not saying that I'm right. I'm just ranting, sometimes coherently, sometimes not so much. lol. Mostly these posts are just my reactions to the world around me. If I offend you, I'm sorry... but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop posting. As they say... door's that way...it works both ways.

And I'm not saying you can't have a support group. By all means, surround yourself with writers/friends who will be nothing but over-the-top cheerleaders who think you walk on water. In fact, you probably _should_ do that when you're starting out. But let's be honest, if you want to be published, someday you will need to break out of that safety circle and VERIFY that what you think is great, yanno, actually is.

Trust me, when you finish your novel and start querying agents, you will be thankful you did. Agents/editors/professional writers can be HARSH. Not in a "I want to tear you down" sort of way, but just in a blunt, "This is NOT good enough" manner. Do you really want to be left scratching your head after your umpteenth rejection, saying to yourself, "But my crit circle loves it! I don't know what I did wrong?!"

Trust me, I've been there. Hell, I'm _still_ going through it. And there's simply no better way to AVOID that kind of thing happening then to have honest critiques done of your work by disinterested parties who KNOW what they're doing. Your mom isn't going to be 100% honest...the writer you chat with on IM every day isn't going to be 100% honest (even if they THINK they are)...It's just a reality that you need to be aware of. And heck, we all cushion the blows when we're critting our friends...it's natural, it's understandable. But the important thing is to look outside your usual group to get other perspectives.

And here's one other thing to think about. Okay, I'm guilty of this from time to time... Jen=Human.

When you receive a crit and you don't agree with it, it's pretty natural to say this person doesn't "get" what I'm trying to do.. this person doesn't understand me the way my crit partners do... This person is just trying to be mean.. This person has it out for me.... *WAH WAH WAH BLAH BLAH BLAH YADA YADA YADA* *WHINE* Do you need a tissue? (g)

Gah, I've reacted that way...we probably all have. But is it the right response to a negative crit? Prolly not. Because whether or not you like what this person has to say, they represent a fragment of the reading population at large. Where there is one, there will be others... Those others will be agents sending you form rejections.

And one last thing to remember is that ultimately YOU have to be happy with what you write. All of this other garbage is moot if you don't like it... but once again, just because you think it's gold, doesn't mean others will... It's a vicious business, but that's the truth.

Check Yourself

This is a bit of a rant, and unfortunately, it's pretty much aimed at a couple of writers I have conversed with. I'm human. I see things that irk the heck out of me, and most times I just ignore it, complain to my friends, and move on. But sometimes, something has got to be said. Okay. *Deep breath* Here I go.

I think there is nothing better than having a crit partner who understands you -- who gets your work and is unconditionally supportive of whatever you do. That's great... but, let's take a moment to examine whether or not it's truly helpful to you in the end. So, stop and ask yourself -- does this person ever find any fault in my writing? Does this person ever point out things that _I_ feel deep down need work? And here's the kicker -- LOOK around. Is _anyone_ else listening and agreeing with the two of you?? (Parentals DO NOT count.) If you answered NO to all of these questions, you seriously need to check yourself and evaluate whether or not your writing is perfect -- or if (and I'm just saying this as a what if) you're so-so writers that have convinced yourselves that you're geniuses. And...again, just saying...by insulating yourselves from the world, you've allowed yourselves to become a tad deluded.

I'm probably a serious anomaly when it comes to writers. I share _everything_. If someone emails me out of the blue, and I'm positive they're not some psycho copyright thief (and in some cases even when I know they are LOL), I'm more than willing to let them read my work. I figure, hey... I can learn _something_ from everyone who crits my wips -- the more people that read, the more useful feedback I get.

Admittedly, I'm starting to realize that this may have some serious drawbacks, and I can already see I've shared BTPM _much_ less than FI. But let me tell you, when I really wanted to take FI to the next level, I picked two of the harshest critters I could find (let me tell ya, neither of them hold any punches) and asked them to read my book. OMG... PAINFUL. (And you know who you are! :)) But you know what? It had to be done...it just did. And I learned a lot even though my first inclination was to scream to the heavens that they were wrong. LOL. All in all, tho... I took so much away from the experience that even my bruised ego is nothing in comparison to what I gained.

So, my question...no, perhaps it's a challenge... is to break out of the little box you've built around yourself and be willing to hear the harsh, honest truth. Even if you don't agree with what people have to say, the reality check is something you NEED and SHOULD get from time to time. I'm not saying to show the first 500 words, or even the first 50K words, before you're ready. What I'm saying is that before you conclude that your book is the next best thing to sliced bread that you go out and find _someone_ who will dish you up a nice hearty serving of humble pie.

If you're saying to yourself that this couldn't be you and that your crit partner loves your work... but it's only because you're GOOD... yeah, YOU need to check yourself. I mean YOU.

I Know I Must Be Crazy

So, I've decided to step away from both of my wips for the evening...possibly for the next couple of days, to do some critting. I think I need to sort of clear my head and come back with a fresh outlook... I hate revisions, have I mentioned that? (g) I'm sure it's just an attempt to postpone the inevitable, but critting means I can post my chapters.. Posting my chapters means most of my typos will be found... my awkward sentences pointed out... It's all good. I don't really plan on reposting FI at this point, but you never know.

At any rate, I spent the past 4-5 hours critting. I'm beat and my eyes are blurry. (g)

OHH! (Change of subject coming!) I LOVED POTC3, btw. Great movie -- well worth the outrageous duckets they're charging to get into the theatre these days. (g) (Gah, I sound like my 85 year old grandfather. *warbly voice* "I remember back in the day when it cost $5.00 to go to the picture show.") Can you tell it's late? Anyway, I've never really been an Orlando Bloom fan (other than as Legolas in LOTR), but MAN was he HOT in this movie. *fans herself* Yeah, he alone is worth my eight bucks. (g)

Anyway, I thought the movie was much better than the second one. I'm torn on which I like more between the first and the third...hmmm. Yeah, can't decide. Anyway, it was great -- very funny, but not in that, we're-going-to-cash-in-on-every-laugh-we-got-in-the-original-movie kind of way. It wasn't forced...just well-earned laughter. :) IF you haven't seen it... GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Oh, and ration your liquids. That puppy is three hours long... take it from the girl who had to dash to the restroom during the big finale. (g) I hate it when that happens.

Okay, clearly I need to get some sleep.

BTPM Passes

Well, I've officially received 5 or so crits on the first chapter of By The Pale Moonlight. So far, the response has been very good. I think the main crit I've received is that there are too many character names given in the first chapter. I'm on the fence on whether or not I agree--I think 2 of the 5 mentioned this concern. So, we'll see. I could conceivably cut out one...maybe two, but most are important for later in the book. But, I guess I'll wait until I finish posting the whole thing to make a final decision. I think I introduced 6-7 characters. For a scene that's taking place at a football game, I didn't think that was too many. LOL.

Anyway, I'm encouraged by these first positive crits -- chapter 2 is probably one of the roughest of the book. So, if that passes muster, hopefully it will be smooth sailing through the rest of it. One great thing is that after one woman read the first chapter, she PM'd me her email address so I can send the whole thing to her. LOL. That's very flattering and had the book been finished, I would've been more than willing. This weekend perhaps.

One of my friends reminded me that soon I'll have to write a query and synopsis for this book. Can I just say, UGH? (g) Don't get me wrong -- I _cannot_ wait to start the query process with this book. I think it has a great shot at being picked up. I just _really_ hate writing these things. (g) Especially the one page synopsis -- goodness, those are hard. (G) Oh well -- I'll think of them in a positive light. If I need to write one, then that means I'm able to send the book out. YES. Can't wait for that. I know I have a long time to go before I reach that point, but I'm feeling good about the prospect.

I haven't achieved much writing -- but I do have the first three chapters ready for posting -- and will probably get the next 3 (at least) tomorrow. I think I'm just going to slowly make my way through the book and fill in any holes I come across as I go. The final scene is sort of marinating right now -- but soon I'll finish that up, too.

Anyway -- a busy week with all of the additional crits I've been doing, but hopefully it will all be worth it. I've enjoyed a lot of the stories in kidcrit -- it's fun to focus on children's books, to see the creativity of some of the writers involved. Nice, happy writing. (g) Of course, I have to go and get all dark on them. LOL. But, I'm really enjoying it -- it's almost hard to stop critting the chaps posted. (g)

Okay--I'm off to read. Did I mention I picked up the sequel to TWILIGHT the other day? Yeah, I'm a sucker. I even splurged on the hard cover. LOL. Oh well -- I'm all about supporting fellow authors. :)

Car Crash in Progress

I haven't done much writing since Saturday. I think I got a bit caught up with school starting back up -- not doing homework, mind you. Just fretting about it. (g) I really enjoyed this last week -- I have such a passion for writing, and to have a little taste of what it would be like to devote all my time to it was just good/horrible. Good because I LOVED it... Horrible because it reminds me how much I really despise school. (G)

Anyway, I've joined that kidcrit forum I mentioned. It's always hard being new on one of those things -- I felt the need to crit like mad, just so people know I Mean Business. So, my own writing has suffered a bit. Oh well, back on track on Wednesday. Getting over the hurdle of Mon/Tues is always a challenge -- clear sailing after I clear hump day, though. Can't wait. I _will_ finish BTPM this weekend...100% guarantee it. I was flipping through TV this afternoon (setting my naptime ambiance (g)) when I ran across that wonderful scene from ROMANCING THE STONE -- you know the one...the Joan Wilder moment. (g) It got me _totally_ geared up for finishing BTPM. I can't wait. Wonder if I'll throw a Joan Wilder with this book...

Oh -- and I posted a chapter at the forum.. SCARY sending my baby off to school. (g) I've only received one crit so far (new kid on the block thing again), but the one I got was very positive. So, HAPPY DANCE. I'm sure more will come soon -- just gotta get my name out there. I'm itching to post another chapter...but I think it might be a little too soon. (g) They have no idea what they've gotten with me. LOL. When I posted FAKING IT, I blitzed the boards with 5-7 chapters at a time. (g) Gotta remind myself that others don't work at my pace.

Oh well..

One last bit -- I wanna ask everyone to pray for my Grandmother. She had two mini-strokes today. Last February, she had a pretty major one that sent her into rehab for a couple of months. She hasn't been the same since, and well, it's just really scary to have her experiencing these things when she seemed to be really on the mend. So, prayers...pink lights...whatever...please. For Ruby Luebe. Love ya, Grandma.

Crit Groups

I've been part of a crit forum for a little over a year now. I remember very well what it felt like to join it. After all, it was really the first time I dipped my big toe into the murky waters of public criticism. (g) Although I'm a little battle worn, I have come out the other side relatively unscathed. Plus, I'm still writing. LOL. Guess they didn't deter me, no matter how hard it seemed some tried at times.

I learned a lot in the past year, and hopefully, it shows in my writing. I look back at some of my earliest chapters posted for critique and I CRINGE. LOL. Not to say it's completely horrible, but back then I didn't know the simplest of rules about how to format a book (Gah, I couldn't punctuate dialog correctly to save my life!). If that original book ever sees the light of day, it will require a major overhaul. Of course, even though it's very cringe worthy, I see its potential. So, perhaps all is not lost with it.

Anyway, I've given it some thought, and I think it might be time for me to pull up stakes and move on. I'm really not enjoying the general tone I see on this particular board right now. I'm all about having confidence in your work...and I agree with the adage that you shouldn't write by committee... but the lack of humility as of late is a bit tough to stomach. It seems the general attitude lately is "If you don't like my work, you just don't _get_ it" and "If you do like my work, you're obviously an intelligent reader who's on my level." *blinks*

I actually read someone compare their own work to a full course meal with a glass of sherry and a cigar after -- while simultaneously saying that a lot of the other members liked happy meals. Being as I'm just about the only person to recommend this particular writer make big cuts to her wip, I can only assume this is directed at me. My knee-jerk response is that verbal diarrhea with no direction is not the same as a full course meal... but, I digress.

Anyway -- yeah, I think it's time to move on. Perhaps someday I'll go back. We'll see. Right now I'm very excited at the prospect of joining the kidcrit group linked to this same forum. I know of some really awesome writers in this particular section, and I can't wait to have them take a whack at BTPM.

I guess if my gut is telling me to leave, it's probably the right decision. Nevertheless, it does make me sad to go.

Crits -- Are they worth the time taken away from your writing?

My answer would be a resounding, YES!

In my opinion, there is nothing more informative (well, besides reading extensively) than taking the old red pen to someone's pages. I think at times we become so personally involved in our own writing that we're unable to see the flaws. By taking a step back to look at other wip's, you're given a chance to see what works and what doesn't. There's no better learning tool out there and it gives you so many things to take back to your own work.

I recently received some comments from a beta, saying I was being redundant in my writing. Repeating with dialogue/action what I had already shown through other dialogue/actions. I had no clue what to say to it, because I couldn't see it. It all finally clicked when I was critting this evening, and now I can go back to my own wip and snip snip snip to avoid doing the same thing again. (No guarantee, but at least I'm going in the right direction.)

I've learned so much over the past year I've been involved with online forums. I'm still pretty much a spazz when it comes to identifying different aspects of the technicalities, but I'm at least starting to recognize and zap my problem areas. I'm very encouraged by this.