Monday 23 September 2019

Disappointment & Determination...

It surprised me to receive an email on Friday telling me the reader's report from the New Writers' Scheme was ready to access. I hadn't expected it so soon.

I considered ignoring it until later in the day, once I was home from meeting up with the Nottingham RNA Chapter, but I gave in and had a quick look through.

It was worse than I'd expected.
Wine...

I went out as planned.

Sharing my angst with the chapter members when we met up, I received sympathetic advice and helpful suggestions. Lunch and a glass of wine later, I had a more positive frame of mind.

Following one of the helpful suggestions I received, to print it out and go through the report with different colour highlighters, I could see the positives not just the negatives.

Many of the major points raised in the report I'd known about, but hadn't left enough time to fix before the August deadline- a lesson in time-management for next year's submission.

And the synopsis, let’s not go there...

There were a handful of positives, which gives me hope that with hard work I can improve the manuscript. But it will take time and thought.

Having learnt from this year's submission and report, I will apply that to another first draft I have waiting.

No, I'm not giving up on this story. I knew there was still plenty of work to do on it, along with the additional research points that popped up as I'd worked on the draft. But for now I need a short break away from it.

Getting it right is never easy...






Image: epicantus at pixabay.com





9 comments:

Patsy said...

Of course you can improve it! That's the point of feedback, and generally it's the criticsm rather than the praise which does us most good in the long run.

I know the negative stuff can be hard to take though, especially coming so soon after putting in all that work. Glad that a chat and a bit of time has helped you see the positives too.

Carolb said...

Patsy- that's a good reminder.x

The positives were useful things, so now I just need to fix the rest of it! :D

liz young said...

Feedback is designed to make you think, and you can already see where to make improvements. Never say die!

Julia Thorley said...

I can't tell you how refreshing it is to hear that things aren't going well! I know that sounds rather mean-spirited of me, but sometimes I think I'm the only writer who suffers any setbacks. Of course, Patsy is absoutely right and we need to embrace a thoughtful critique (not a criticism) as a good thing. You know what you've got to do: get back on it! Tally-ho!

lostinimaginaryworlds.blogspot.com said...

So pleased you now have a more positive approach. We all have to go through the process of learning, we all suffer when we realise that there is still much learning to do. After writing several children's novels, I then took a masters’ degree in creative writing. It was a very steep learning curve for someone who thought she knew it all. I shall be learning to write until the end of my life. Enjoy your learning, you’ll make it with your good attitude to your chosen craft 🤗

Carolb said...

Liz y- thank you. Better to get these bad bits sorted now than try to do them later.

Julia- you make a good point, we need to show others that the reality of being a writer are the times when it's not going well, but we pick ourselves up and get on with it.

Lostin...I don't think we ever stop learning where our writing is concerned but with it comes negatives sometimes. I believe in my story and my characters so they'll not be abandoned.

Rosemary Gemmell said...

I'm so sorry you were disappointed on first reading, Carol. But I can assure you that we all feel like that when we have that first read through a detailed critique! Bet with each reading you will find more positives and will only learn from the negatives. Publication is a journey and with each book we learn even more about our strengths and weaknesses as writers. Onwards and Upwards!

Keith Havers said...

Us writers are a tough breed. You can take the criticism and come back stronger. Good luck, Carol.

Carolb said...

Rosemary- there were a few positives that came out when I went through the report with the highlighter pens, and they were good positives. But the rest will be a lot of work, though possible.

I've learnt a lot this year so I can improve. :-)

Keith- Thanks. It's fortunate we are tough and can take it and come back fighting.