I have never stared so long at a blank Friday Fricassee post. Blogging doesn't take a lot of time or planning for me; I guess I'm an organic blogger as much as I'm an organic novelist. The difference is, of course, that novels need to be structured correctly.
It's much easier to fudge a blog post.
So it's always annoying when I have to sit and stare. Especially on Fricassee day! Maybe I'm just burned out from a week of passionate WIPLOVE. Crazy, but I know you all relate. So I'm not going to go all sheepish and apologetic.
The romance will cool as soon as I start getting notes from readers. So I might as well enjoy it while it lasts, yes?
My husband is practically threatening me (and I try hard not to roll my eyes): "I'm going to be paying VERY close attention to your worldbuilding. If I have a question about ANYTHING, you'd better have an answer!" {insert reverb and scary soundtrack here}
Thing is, I NEED his hard questions, and he knows it. But, not being a writer himself, he doesn't understand that THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO TALK TO AN AUTHOR WHO IS GETTING READY TO SEND YOU HER BRAND NEW BABY FOR CRITIQUE.
((O.O))
So, if one of you will kindly explain this to him, I'm sure he'll listen. (He certainly won't listen if I try to explain it myself.)
There. I've written a post. Evidently I needed a little group therapy. I feel better already!
What about you? Does sending your freshly polished draft to readers feel ominous? Threatening? Or do you send your work off with nary a second thought?
(I'm cool with my other readers, by the way. They write well, they crit well, and (I think) they all love me. Not that Mr. A doesn't love me. He just...well, you know. He's a husband.)
Talk to me about BETA READERS! And how you feel once you've sent out your freshest baby.
Miss Snark's First Victim
At least you let your husband read your MS. I refuse. He can read it when everyone else does.
ReplyDeleteI can take criticism from my crit partners (who are the best) and my betas, but my hubby... no way!
Sending you a (((hug))) because I totally understand.
I can't even send my stuff to my husband. The few short stories I gave him got a "that's good." And that's it. Nothing else. Sometimes I wonder why on earth I married an anti-reader.
ReplyDeleteI'm always optimistic when I send stuff to my beta readers or crit partners. It's only when it comes back that I crash and burn for a few days as reality rushes back. After I've digested, I start on the changes. I'm one of those people that loves feedback of any kind, so I often send chapters out before the story is done.
I spend a lot of time pacing and boiling water while I wait for a response. All the while envisioning the marvelous accolades that will inevitably be coming my way. When that doesn't happen I usually begin with the denial stage and go from there. Then I make macaroni and cheese with the boiled water.
ReplyDeleteI love my beta readers. I always send my WIP to the nicest one first. Then I rejoice at how much she likes it, and send it on to the more tricky beta who picks out where my transitions suck and where I forgot to put in any movement and/ or setting. Occasionally I get a third beta who I call the grammarian. She rips up my sentences, and I try to stay positive.
ReplyDeleteMy husband doesn't read my stuff urban fantasy (which I write). I'm thinking of writing an end of the world story, just so that he'll read.
I have one friend that I send each chapter to as I write it, but basically she's there so I don't stop mid-way through; I know someone is waiting for me to finish the story. The problem is,the story changes from chapter to chapter; I don't plan each chapter out. I have to explain the changes to the characters that I will make when I do my first RW but she's sticking with me and encouraging me.
ReplyDeleteI won't show it to anyone else until I've done at least one RW though. *shudder* Too scary.
I don't have any Beta Readers or I have yet to locate any that are reliable. My experience with Beta's has been difficult. I have a hard time locating good ones that will actually provide good feedback.
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult for me to ask other writers, who may know me just a little, to Beta for me. Plus the BFE I dwell in has turned up nada in my searches for a local critique group.
Cross fingers and pray that I have better luck in the future! Happy Friday.
I'm definitely nervous when I ship a manuscript off to a beta~ I try to polish it first, but always think they'll come back and point out some enormous mistake or plot hole I've made, which I'd be happy to correct (after all, that's why we have betas), but would make me bang my head against the wall for a few hours :)
ReplyDeleteYou've got a great/supportive hubby there~ can't wait until your books are on the shelf!
Every time I send off something to be pre-read or beta'd, I'm sure this will be the time I get the response that says, "Seriously, shalu, WTF were you thinking?" and then I'll have evidence that anything good I'd written before was a fluke and that I have no actual talent for it.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting better at feeling more confident in my writing. One friend who's beta'd for me is invaluable in pushing me: "What's she feeling here? Expand this. There's more to tell." Etc. I'm almost annoyed, but the critiques like these are priceless, because that piece/chapter always turns out 3x better.
Nary a second thought. They'll either point out things that need fixing, or they won't. All part of the process. (No one can be a harsher editor than I am.)
ReplyDeleteHeh, I have a brutally honest hubby as well. They're helpful, but occasionally frustrating. ;)
ReplyDeleteMy hubs writes yet I don't ask him to read my stuff. He doesn't read romance. Don't get me wrong--he cares and he would read it. Honestly, I don't really want his feedback. He doesn't know how to critique my genre as effectively as someone who enjoys romance, and hearing "it's very good" does nothing for me.
ReplyDeleteSo I love, love, love a good beta reader, and I welcome anyone who wants to read. I can get at least a few good feedback tidbits from each read. A crit partner is even better :)
The only beta reader I don't get nervous about is my mom. Ha ha, seriously though, she's super tough on me but her insight is priceless. My fiance is just like "uh, ya, I liked it. Specially the gorey parts." *rolls eyes* fat lotta help he is! Stranger beta readers don't scare me as much as friends though. . . maybe because writing is exposing yourself and its harder to do that with the people you're closer to.
ReplyDeleteI get so nervous sending off a freshly polished draft to betas, no matter how wonderful the beta is. I constantly check my email for their response because I'm so afraid they'll hate it and unmask me as the hack I've always suspected I really am.
ReplyDeleteMy husband doesn't like to read my mss because he doesn't think he has anything to add. Poor guy.
My MS goes to two non-writer's first. Just people who like to read. They help me get the story straight. THEN it goes to my writer critiquers.
ReplyDeleteAnd critiquers should totally be a word. I hate seeing that underlined in red ;)
I have awesome crit partners and readers. I usually give my stuff to my non-writer readers first, just to see if they enjoy it or have any questions, then I polish it up a little before sending it to my writer friends who are always much more brutal.
ReplyDeleteMy partner doesn't read fiction, and even if he did, he wouldn't be interested in what I write. I dedicated a book of short stories to him and he's never even read that.
I am blessed to have three excellent BETA's who at different points of a novel, are invaluable.
ReplyDeleteI have fantastic readers, all of whom I trust to be honest and pull no punches, and they forgive my sulking with head patting and chocolate.
ReplyDeleteMy husband gets very annoyed with my male characters. "Guys don't just think about boobs, football and hamburgers! We also like butts, basketball and pizza."
I have amazing beta readers, but my boyfriend acts as my alpha reader on everything. He reads each chapter as I finish it and makes notes on it. The last one came back with "really good, lots of tension" Yay me! This time around, since I'm writing YA, my 11-year old is also alpha reading and she's on me everyday for the next chapter. She got to help pick character names and eye color and all that. It's been a really great process so far. And I get nervous no matter who reads my work: boyfriend, daughter, crit group. I'm just a worrier.
ReplyDeleteLOL re everyone's beta readers. Like some, I don't ask my husband--he's a non-reader unless it's technical stuff. And actually, he won't read my work until it's been legitimized by being published. Even then, his only remark about my first published romance was, "You know guys don't really talk like that, right?"
ReplyDeleteI've discovered that I know when something's ready--if I'm honest/objective enough about it, so I don't have anybody read it until it's ready for an agent or editor. (So I do a few more revision rounds before I let them read it. Sometimes, of course, it's still not ready.) Probably not the best process, but it's what I've got because the only people whose advice I'd listen to are too busy with their own careers to waste time on me :-)
Enjoy your WIPLOVE as long as it lasts, Authoress!
I have two fantastic betas. Just this afternoon, I sent a bit I'm working on to one of them. It's a scene I think I need, but what I wrote just wasn't right. She read it, got back to me, and told me why it was off, gave great suggestions for fixing it. My husband started to beta read for me, but he got stalled around page 60 because of work. At least that's what he tells me. My MS is not at all his genre, so it could be he's sparing my feelings.
ReplyDeleteI must be weird, 'cause I'm hearing a lot of nervous anxiety out there, and all I ever feel is pure excitement. I can't wait to get anything back from a reader, however I do make sure those readers do not include my husband. He's a one chapter kind of guy, with any and every book, and then he's over it. So no way am I putting my work into hands like those.
ReplyDeleteWhich leads me to wonder, where has everyone found those lovely other eyes? I'd love to hear their stories.
Just found my way here and must thank you for all the great info.
ReplyDeleteI currently have my WIP out to Beta readers and am waiting on pins and needles for positive responses or a flogging. As for my wife, if she didn't get the first read I would be sleeping on the couch. However I don't recall the words "brutally honest" as part of the wedding vows.
I always have that anxiety wave when my WIP goes out to my beta reader's Kindles. Will my baby be ugly? I value the feedback even when it's tough. Fresh eyes rock.
ReplyDeleteI feel really excited to share my work with my betas, but I also feel a little protective of my baby! I've had great beta readers, so I've been lucky. As for the husband, he never reads a word unless forced. He has no desire to read my WIP. That's okay, he can be supportive when the agent rejections come. I only sent out 10 queries, but each rejection makes a writer fill with doubt. Not give up but doubt.
ReplyDeleteMy husband won't read my WIP anymore because he hates being critical (which is what I need, but he just can't do it). But I have some great readers who are honest and very, very helpful. They see things I can't and my work is better for their comments.
ReplyDeleteI usually don't let my nearest and dearest read mine - apart from my FAB critique group of course! Although recently I let my Dad read one of my books - he's a pretty tough customer so I was chuffed to bits when he said he liked it! :-)
ReplyDeleteI have one perfect beta reader. He gets that he needs to couch what isn't working with what is. There are smiley faces throughout the comments to let me know he liked something. My mom is my toughest beta reader--all she likes to point out is the bad. I constantly have to ask her to tell me what I did right. And she is a grammar stickler. My bff reads for macro stuff and lets me know where the story isn't working.
ReplyDeleteI think I feel 70% terrified and about 30% excited. I WANT their feedback, but I fear the way in which they'll deliver it . . .
ReplyDeleteReading "this stinks" is harder than reading "this is great but could be SO much better".
So . . . yes. :)