The Dreaded Feedback

This past weekend my critique group and I had a discussion about revising and how very hard it can be. You want the feedback, you get it, and you even see the point. The problem is, then you’ve got to pick yourself up and jump back into revisions on the manuscript. Maybe you’re so sick of the story you just don’t want to read that scene yet again, let alone rewrite it for the umpteenth time. Maybe you’ve got clashing ideas or far too many pages of new research, and you can’t decide where to begin. Maybe the rest of your life is calling to you and the writing time just seems too elusive. Today I’m gearing up to jump back into revisions on my WIP, but before I began I came across some perfect advice about taking critiques from HM Waugh, How to Take Critiques Without Crying — Five Steps to Awesome.

Waugh’s got five really great points about taking critiques, and I’ve got one thing to add. A critique partner, beta reader, or editor worth their salt is critiquing to help make your work shine. Their first job must be to be your reader’s advocate. That’s  who you’re writing for, right, your reader? But secondly, those who read your work in its unfinished stages are reading your work to help you make it the best it can be. Remember that if you get discouraged. Even if they’re telling you things you don’t want to hear, ultimately they’re rooting for you and for your story.

Great Advice for Writers About the Editing Process

Editing Pic creative-108545_1920 (2)A great read, this Writers Digest article explains the different kinds of editing and the things you should consider before you hire a freelance editor.

Writers Digest: “Ten Things Your Freelance Editor Might Not Tell You–But Should