If you’ve read my last blog then you know that i recently sent my first chapter to my new critique partner and let her read it, all while trying not to hurl everytime i thought about it. Well, i never prayed to the porcelain gods and she sent back her gentle but firm critique.
How not to handle a less than amazing critique- Yell, scream and call her everything but a nice girl and swear that my mother’s opinion is the only one that matters and my book is gold!
Reality- her critique was spot on, i wasn’t thrilled to hear about all the holes in my work, but i needed to. So after i got over being hurt at her not calling me the next Nora Robert’s who needed no revisions at all, i got my head out of my arse and looked at her comments with an open mind.
Yes, i need to work on some stuff, like introspection. A wee bit too much that comes from nowhere. A long conversation that read like a tennis match. little or no tags to justify who was speaking. (I totally got carried away!) Plus a few other things.
Then she said :Your heroine is a smart-ass!
How not to handle it- “Yeah well so are you!”
Reality- That’s exactly how i wanted her to be, a smart ass. I know a bit about those, since i and all the women in my family are indeed smart asses. She also said my dialogue is strong!
So i think Finding Lori has been a great thing for my writing, and think she will help my work get better and better. And by the way, her writing is great. excellent description and a hunky hero to die for. I think you’ll hear good things from her in the future!
Happy writing all !
And may all your coffee’s be Caramel Mochas! Yummmmers!
Jody
Will Write for Coffee! 