Dear O'Abby: My critique partner says my book is hate speech. What do I do?

Dear O'Abby,

I recently got feedback from one of my critique partners that really upset me.  She said she felt my book was incredibly harmful and that it was essentially hate speech.  I was completely shocked by this because while I know some of the views the characters voice in the book are not views many people subscribe to these days, they are views these particular characters hold and to remove that content from the book would irrevocably change both the characters and the story that is driven by these characters and their views.  And we live in a country where free speech is allowed, so these characters have the right to say what they say.

I really want to be able to publish this book, but I really don't want to deal with being cancelled or called out for spreading hate speech when all I'm trying to do is be authentic to my characters and their stories.  I've seen too many authors bullied on Twitter and Goodreads over the years not to know it can happen, but I never thought I'd be one of those authors.  Now I'm beginning to wonder if publishing this book might just be setting me up for a public flogging.

Any advice?

Sincerely,

 

Not a Hater.

Dear Not a Hater,

Obviously, not having read your book or knowing the content, it's a little hard for me to give specific advice.  

I'm interested that you mention free speech in there because it's something I've been thinking about a lot this week.  And yes, people do have the right to say what they want to say.  Where it gets grey is when what the person says is harmful to an individual or a community.  Words have power and can have tremendous impact.  So think about what your characters are saying and whether their words are something that could be weaponised to hurt people, incite violence or discrimination.  

It's not just what they are saying, but how. Writers (and in fact all artists) explore difficult questions in their work and there are often fine lines between what one person calls challenging and another calls hate speech.  Perhaps your book sits in this space for your critique partner. 

My advice would be to get another set of eyes across it.  If the book deals with a particular race or community, a sensitivity reader is probably a good idea, especially if you are not someone who is a part of that community.  It may be that this particular critique partner is sensitive to a specific issue and is responding to this in your book.  Another reader may not have the same reaction.  

Best of luck navigating these tricky waters.  Do let us know how it turns out.

X O'Abby

NaNo Tips from O'Abby's archive

 NaNo is almost finished.  With five days to go, most of you will probably have a pretty good idea if you are going to hit the 50K words or not, so here's a post from the archive about what to do once you're there.

And remember, even if you don't hit the word count, it doesn't matter.  You still have more words than you started the month with, and that's a win!  Just keep going until you hit "the end", even if that doesn't happen until February or March.

Dear O’Abby,

This is my first time doing NaNo and I’m pretty close to finishing my book. I’m super excited about it because I’ve never written a book before. But I was wondering, what do I when it’s finished? Send it to publishers? Do you have any advice for a newbie?

Yours,

Noob

Dear Noob,

Firstly, congratulations on finishing a book! That’s a fantastic achievement and one you should be very proud of.

But finishing a novel is really only the first step in the writing process so please don’t rush off and send your freshly finished manuscript to anyone.

The first thing you need to do is let that manuscript sit for a few weeks. Don’t look at it. Write something else or plan something else. Take a break and do something not writing-related for a while. Whatever you want to do except looking over that book you just wrote. I like to give my manuscripts at least a month before I go back to them because that’s long enough to be able to look at them with fresh eyes.

When you do go back it, you will probably find a lot of things you need to change. Character motivations may not be clear. Tension might not be high enough at key points in the manuscript. The ending may not be as satisfying as you thought it would be. You may even find stupid things like a character’s name changing between chapters or their hair going from blonde to brown. Fast drafting, which NaNo is, is a fantastic tool for getting you story on the page, but it isn’t a finished book yet, even if you have typed THE END.

Revision is crucial to the writing process. And I find it usually takes me WAY longer to revise a book than it does to write it in the first place. I would suggest doing a first read-through where you don’t make any changes, but write notes for yourself about things you notice that need to be changed. If you change them as you go, you may find things you do early on in the book no longer make sense by the time you’ve made changes toward the end. I often find that after this first pass, writing a synopsis of the book helps me to really figure out the shape of the story, and where scenes or characters may need to be changed or moved.

The next step is to make the changes you’ve noted. This could take some time, if the changes are substantial. I’ve re-written entire books from a new POV at this point, or scrapped the entire middle and re-written it so it works better with the ending, or ditched a character completely because they didn’t really have any function in the story. I’ve added 20K in some revisions, and cut the same amount in others. Each book is different.

And when you’ve done, let it rest again. Then rinse and repeat.

When you get to the point you aren’t actually changing anything substantial anymore, just moving commas or changing ‘asked’ to ‘queried’, it’s probably time to get some new eyes on your work. You need to send your book to a critique partner or beta reader to see how it reads to someone who doesn’t know your story. In fact, you probably need to send it to at least three people who aren’t intimate with it. Ideally people who aren’t just going to fangirl about the fact you’ve actually written a book. You need feedback on what you’ve written.

Once the feedback comes in, you need to read it carefully, consider it and make decisions about which pieces of advice are helpful and which are not. Not every suggestion made by a crit partner or beta is going to be useful. But if you get the same piece of feedback from multiple people, you probably should pay attention to it. I also find it’s often useful to give feedback time to settle in. Don’t rush in and change things as soon as the feedback lands. Take some time to think about the things your readers identified as problematic. You may find even better ways to address them than anything that was suggested.

Then you revise some more. And send to new readers. And revise some more.

Told you it was a long process…

Once you’re satisfied it’s as good as you can possibly get it, there are other decisions you need to make about how and where you want to publish. But maybe we’ll look at that part of the process in a new post.

Happy revising!

X O’Abby

Dear O'Abby: I don't like fantasy. Can I critique it?

Dear O'Abby,

I recently reached out on Twitter to try and find some new writers to critique my latest book.  I got a few replies and a couple of people wanted to trade manuscripts, which I was happy with.  The thing is, one of the books I've been sent to critique is fantasy.  And I don't write fantasy.  I don't even read it. I actually kind of hate it.

I don't want to let this other writer down when he's offered to read for me, but I also don't know that I can critique fantasy in a helpful way.

What would you do?

Best wishes,

Anti-fan(tasy)

Dear Anti-fan(tasy),

I hear you!

I'm not the biggest fantasy fan on the globe either, and would never pick it as a genre to read on my own.

But I do critique it when asked.  One of my longest-term critique partners is a fantasy writer and I've been critiquing for her over ten years now.  She has been critting my YA contemporary writing for just as long.  In fact, none of my regular critique partners writes in my genre.  They write horror, sci-fi, fantasy and romance, but they all help make my work better.

At the end of the day, a story is a story, and writing is writing.  The genre doesn't matter when you're looking at a book in terms of its story, character and style.  In fact, you may actually be more helpful to this other writer than the fantasy readers she may already have had looking over her MS in that you don't know the tropes of the genre and can point things out that may not make sense.

The most important thing is to read this MS as a story and point out places where it drags or where you don't understand something, or where a character says or does something inconsistent with the way they've behaved previously.  Y'know...  all the stuff you do when you are critiquing a story that is within your usual genre.

You will probably learn something new by doing it.  I certainly learn a lot about pacing and world building each time I read for my fantasy-writing crit-partner because she manages to create amazingly complex societies with their own set of rules and moral codes, yet I never feel like I'm being told about them.  I just find I get to the end of the book with an understanding of how these imagined world work.  That's clever world-building!

I hope you find this trade valuable.  You may have found your next long-term crit-partner.

X O'Abby

Dear O'Abby: I'm going to finish NaNo. What next?

Dear O’Abby,

This is my first time doing NaNo and I’m pretty close to finishing my book. I’m super excited about it because I’ve never written a book before. But I was wondering, what do I when it’s finished? Send it to publishers? Do you have any advice for a newbie?

Yours,

Noob

Dear Noob,

Firstly, congratulations on finishing a book! That’s a fantastic achievement and one you should be very proud of.

But finishing a novel is really only the first step in the writing process so please don’t rush off and send your freshly finished manuscript to anyone.

The first thing you need to do is let that manuscript sit for a few weeks. Don’t look at it. Write something else or plan something else. Take a break and do something not writing-related for a while. Whatever you want to do except looking over that book you just wrote. I like to give my manuscripts at least a month before I go back to them because that’s long enough to be able to look at them with fresh eyes.

When you do go back it, you will probably find a lot of things you need to change. Character motivations may not be clear. Tension might not be high enough at key points in the manuscript. The ending may not be as satisfying as you thought it would be. You may even find stupid things like a character’s name changing between chapters or their hair going from blonde to brown. Fast drafting, which NaNo is, is a fantastic tool for getting you story on the page, but it isn’t a finished book yet, even if you have typed THE END.

Revision is crucial to the writing process. And I find it usually takes me WAY longer to revise a book than it does to write it in the first place. I would suggest doing a first read-through where you don’t make any changes, but write notes for yourself about things you notice that need to be changed. If you change them as you go, you may find things you do early on in the book no longer make sense by the time you’ve made changes toward the end. I often find that after this first pass, writing a synopsis of the book helps me to really figure out the shape of the story, and where scenes or characters may need to be changed or moved.

The next step is to make the changes you’ve noted. This could take some time, if the changes are substantial. I’ve re-written entire books from a new POV at this point, or scrapped the entire middle and re-written it so it works better with the ending, or ditched a character completely because they didn’t really have any function in the story. I’ve added 20K in some revisions, and cut the same amount in others. Each book is different.

And when you’ve done, let it rest again. Then rinse and repeat.

When you get to the point you aren’t actually changing anything substantial anymore, just moving commas or changing ‘asked’ to ‘queried’, it’s probably time to get some new eyes on your work. You need to send your book to a critique partner or beta reader to see how it reads to someone who doesn’t know your story. In fact, you probably need to send it to at least three people who aren’t intimate with it. Ideally people who aren’t just going to fangirl about the fact you’ve actually written a book. You need feedback on what you’ve written.

Once the feedback comes in, you need to read it carefully, consider it and make decisions about which pieces of advice are helpful and which are not. Not every suggestion made by a crit partner or beta is going to be useful. But if you get the same piece of feedback from multiple people, you probably should pay attention to it. I also find it’s often useful to give feedback time to settle in. Don’t rush in and change things as soon as the feedback lands. Take some time to think about the things your readers identified as problematic. You may find even better ways to address them than anything that was suggested.

Then you revise some more. And send to new readers. And revise some more.

Told you it was a long process…

Once you’re satisfied it’s as good as you can possibly get it, there are other decisions you need to make about how and where you want to publish. But maybe we’ll look at that part of the process in next week’s post.

Happy revising!

X O’Abby

Dear O'Abby: Are Contests Worth My Time?

Dear O'Abby,

There seem to be so many writing contests out there and I was wondering if it's actually worth entering any of them.  No offense meant.  I know Operation Awesome runs its own contest, but that's kind of what made me ask the question.  Does anyone ever actually get an agent or a publishing contract out of these contests?  

Yours,

Contestable

Dear Contestable,

It's really up to you whether you want to enter contests.  They're not compulsory for any writer, but they are a lot of fun, and a really good way to meet other writers who might end up becoming beta readers or critique partners.

And yes, people do sometimes get agents or publishing contracts through these contests.  I actually got both.  In the same week.  But I ended up passing on the publishing contract in favor of working with the agent in the end.  That was one crazy week, I'm telling you!

But even if you don't get picked by the agent or editor judge, entering contests is a good way to see how your work stacks up against other peoples'.  Most contests ask the judges to leave feedback, so even if you don't win, you have notes from a professional on your query and/or first page.  And you can use those notes to help polish both up, and often the rest of your MS too.

Sometimes readers of the blog are also asked to leave feedback which means you don't just get one opinion, but many.  If something about one particular piece of feedback resonates strongly, you can reach out to that person and thank them.  You may even become friends with that person or decide to work together as critique partners or beta readers.  I met several of my very favorite writing buddies this way and we are still critiquing each other more than 10 years on.

But if you're not interested in entering contests, it's not going to be the end of your writing career.  You can still query traditionally, and your chances are probably no better or worse than if you'd entered the contest.

Good luck, which ever way you decide to go!  And if you're thinking of entering our Pass or Pages, you have about a day left to do it.

X O'Abby

#AtoZchallenge Beta Readers vs. Critique Partners

Beta Readers vs. Critique Partners
Hooray, you’ve finished your manuscript! After a celebratory nap, your next step is to start revisions, and a big part of the revising process is getting feedback from other people as beta readers (also called betas) and critique partners (often shortened to CPs). They sometimes get confused for one another, so let’s run through the differences first!

Critique Partners

A critique partner is just that: a partner. Ideally, they should be someone who writes the same genre as you with whom you can swap manuscripts. Because they’re a fellow writer, they’re someone who can examine your manuscript for things like voice, plot, and worldbuilding. A good CP can be there for you during several rounds of revision, and you may even seek one out before your manuscript is complete.

Beta Readers

Beta readers are, first and foremost, readers. They look at your manuscript as if it were a book they just took off the shelf and aim to answer the question “What did you think?” They are big-picture readers, focusing more on the feel of the manuscript than the nitty-gritty of grammar and phrasing. You should, at the very least, have a finished manuscript to send to beta readers, preferably one that has been polished by critique partners already.

Before you start looking…

Make sure your manuscript isn’t a rough first draft. Give it a couple passes for grammar and spelling, plot issues, consistency of characters, that kind of thing. You don’t want to overwhelm your reader with minor issues that will distract from the things you want them to focus on.

Come up with a list of questions or things to watch for. It’s a good idea to give your CPs and beta readers some guidelines, so they can think about these topics as they read.

Remember that you might need a thick skin. You’re offering up your manuscript to be picked apart, and that’s hard!

Where to look…

Writing communities, both online and in-person, are everywhere. Whether it’s a local Meetup group in your town or a Slack group with members around the world, you’re bound to find someone interested in your work. The #CPMatch event happens every few months on Twitter, and that can be a great event for people searching for CPs.

As tempting as it may be, friends and family members are probably not your best bet. It can be hard for them to be objective about your work, especially if you have talked to them about it in the past. Keep in mind the fact that they may not like it, or that they may give you critique that you don’t want or agree with. Think of it this way: Are you willing to jeopardize your relationship with someone to get feedback on your work? The answer is probably “no.”

Once you find someone…

Swap some material, whether it’s the first chapter or first twenty pages. You each want to get a sense of what the other person’s commenting style is like. Are they brutally honest, or more of a compliment sandwich person? Figure out what you need from your reader and try to get it if you can.

Critique one another’s work and go over the notes you received. Do they understand your work? Have they provided useful notes? Do you like their manuscript, and do you want to read more?

Ready to keep going…

If you like this person’s work and are interested in continuing to work with them, it’s time to figure out the details. Establish a schedule – how often will you send material back and forth? Do you have a deadline by which you need your feedback? Will you work in Google Docs or Microsoft Word?

Send your list of questions or items to keep an eye on. Make sure that your beta or CP understands the list before they get too far into the manuscript. It’s no help to you to get notes you can’t use!

Remember that if you feel like a CP or beta relationship isn’t working out, it’s okay to say so. You wouldn’t stay in a relationship that didn’t make you happy “in the real world,” and writing shouldn’t be any different. The goal with CPs and betas is to make your work better, and if someone’s notes aren’t helping you do that, you don’t have to take them. If a CP or beta is constantly slamming your work without providing constructive criticism, maybe it’s time to step back. Don’t let anyone stand in the way of achieving your writing dreams!

Dear O'Abby, Do I Really Need Critique Partners and Beta Readers?

Dear O'Abby,

I've just finished a novel and I've read that at this point I should be sending it to critique partners and beta readers for feedback.  I don't know anyone to do this, and I am a very thorough editor, so feel like the book is as polished as it's going to get.  Is this feedback period really crucial to making my book a success?  And if it is, where do I find these readers?

Regards,

Critical.

Dear Critical,

Personally I believe this is probably the most important step in getting your book ready.  As the author, you know everything about your story and your characters so are unlikely to see gaps in logic or places where information might be missing.  Getting fresh eyes on the book is crucial for you to find out if everything is working the way you intended it to.

Critique partners and beta readers also fulfill different purposes.  A critique partner might read the book chapter by chapter as you write it and offer feedback as you go.  Or they might read it when you have finished a first or second full draft.  Their notes will include grammar and syntax errors, punctuation and suggestions about plotting, pacing and character development.  Finding other writers to be critique partners is usually a good idea because they will understand these things and be able to offer the right kind of feedback at this stage.

Beta readers are readers who will read the full manuscript once you have completed the revisions your notes from critique partners threw up.  These readers won't give you the detailed notes your CPs did, but will be able to identify how the book reads as a whole.  They will let you know if they believe and empathize with the characters, if the plot is engaging and if they feel the pacing works.  They will also let you know if the book is an enjoyable read, and may be able to tell you other books they've read that are similar.

In terms of finding people to act as CPs and beta readers, there are numerous options.  Join a writing group, in person if there is one in your local area, or online if there isn't (there are some very active critique groups at writing.com).  Engage with other writers via their social media and blogs.  Whatever stage in your writing career you are at, there will be other writers out there at the same stage and many will be willing do a MS exchange.  Engage with readers who talk about books online and ask them to beta for you.  You won't always get a yes, but a lot of people are excited to read new books before they are published and will jump on the chance.


Good luck with the book!

X O'Abby

A Note on Critique Partner Relations

I believe that good critique partners are absolutely vital to the writing process. A good critique partner gives valuable insights into improving your manuscript, and will also cheer you on as you go on your writing journey.

When I figured out that I needed critique partners to improve my writing (side note: sometimes I look at 2013 Kara and slowly shake my head at her nonsense), I was delighted to find that two women I already knew were writers, and they were interested in forming a critique group! We were all kind of newbs at the offering feedback part of writing, but we dove into it anyway.

At the beginning of that summer, I let my new CPs know that I was going to pursue publication, and I wanted their help getting my book into shape. They both agreed to read for me, so I sent the book on.

And then I waited. For almost three months. One of the women suggested that we add new people to our critique group and move it online. I said I would be okay with that, but if we were going to invite new people, we should be clear on when we expected people to get back to us so that no one got upset, because my feelings were hurt that neither of them had said anything about my book the whole summer.

Now, they both had a lot going on that summer. They were scheduled things that we all knew were going to happen. But they had agreed to read in spite of that, and it bothered me that neither of them had even said so much as "Hey, sorry I haven't gotten to this yet."

One CP apologized, read the book within a week, and returned notes that were very helpful (including pointing out that I wasn't doing my em dashes correctly, which was great because I had no idea that em dashes and hyphens were different!). We're still friends to this day, and I still value her input on my work.

The other got snippy, unfriended me on Facebook, and hasn't spoken to me since even though we live in the same small town.

I hope you take away a number of things from this story. One: if you are unhappy with something in your CP relationship, speak up promptly. Don't let it fester for months. You'll know which CPs are worth keeping based on how they respond. Two: if you find that you've screwed up? Apologize and make it right. If your CP forgives you and can still take your critique without getting defensive, then you guys are a good match. And finally, clear communication and honesty are crucial to a good CP relationship.

Think Win/Win

It's time to explore another of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Writers!

Habit #4 is called Think Win/Win

"Win/Win is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions." When I read that sentence, I instantly thought of the critique partner relationship and how vital it is for writers to have critique partners they can rely on. It can be so hard to find critique partners and maintain a relationship with them. I've had numerous friends ask me where I've found my critique partners, and how I've stuck with them (and they, me!) over the years.

I believe that having a "Think Win/Win" attitude is a key part of the critique partner relationship. You must both want each other to Win, both in your relationship with each other and in writing in general. What does that look like? Here are some examples:

-I don't like my CPs to send me a chapter at a time; I prefer to get the whole novel at once. But one of my CPs really wanted to send her novel to me a piece at a time while she worked on it, so I agreed. This could have been a Lose/Win situation, where I gave up something I wanted to placate her. But my CP did a great job of incorporating my feedback from the previous piece into the next piece she sent me, so that I wasn't just repeating myself constantly with each chunk of work she sent. That made me feel like I had gotten exactly what I wanted, too!

-I like to do Camp NaNoWriMo in July and focus heavily on my own writing. A new CP asked back in May if I could read for her at some point over the summer. I was upfront about my NaNo plans, and said I could read in June or August. She knew she'd be busy during the early part of the summer, so we agreed that I would read for her in August. Both of us got what we wanted, because we were clear in our communication.

-One of my CPs texts me every month or so to check in on my work, even if I haven't sent her anything to read in a while (I'm a very slow drafter). She cares about my overall writing Wins, and makes a point of showing that she cares, without making me feel bad about not sending her any work.

In order to have this Win/Win relationship, Covey says that these 3 components must be present:

Integrity
It can take a while to build up integrity with another person, especially if you don't see them frequently. (This describes 90% of my CPs) So we must demonstrate integrity from the beginning. If you are trying out a new CP relationship, be sure to get work back to your partner by the agreed upon deadline. Thank them right away when they get work back to you. And if something comes up that's going to interfere with either of those things, keep your CP in the loop.

Maturity
Covey calls this "the balance between courage and consideration." In critiquing someone else's work, you must find that balance between expressing your feelings about the work (especially if they are negative!) and considering the recipient's feelings about your critique. Most of us intuitively know that a good critique does not look like "This sucks." And we also know that a good critique does not look like "This is perfect, change nothing!" Neither of those are helpful. We must strike a balance between those two extremes to help our partners as we support them in seeking their writing Win. Which leads me to...

Abundance Mentality
To be a good critique partner, you must believe that there is "plenty out there for everybody." You must support your partner as they seek for a publishing Win (securing an agent, getting a publishing contract, whatever), and not see their Wins as obstacles making your Wins harder. One of my CPs and I entered a writing contest together. At first we thought our work was in different categories, but soon we realized we'd be in direct competition with each other for the prize. And it made no difference. We both critiqued each other's work with an eye towards making it the best it could be. We would not see each other's wins as losses for ourselves.

How do you Think Win/Win in your critique partner relationships?  

W is for Want to Be a Great Critique Partner? #AtoZChallenge

The #AtoZChallenge 2017 Theme at Operation Awesome is the Publishing Journey.

At Operation Awesome, we strive to provide writers and readers with the resources they need to succeed, at every stage of the journey. With that in mind, let's discuss how to be a great critique partner or beta reader!

Writers know how invaluable critique partners (who review your manuscript, sometimes a few chapters at a time, and provide detailed feedback and/or edits) and beta readers (who read the entire manuscript and provide high-level feedback on plot, characters, etc.) are to the writing process. Here are some tips for becoming the kind of critique partner/beta reader who gets thanked in a published novel's Acknowledgments page:

1) Know your limitations. Everyone is busy. All the time. But if you offer to beta read a manuscript, and commit to finishing and providing feedback in two weeks, you really only have two options: finish and provide feedback in two weeks; or, if you know you won't be able to finish on time, contact the writer to let him/her know so the manuscript can be sent to another beta reader if necessary. There's no harm in saying 'no' or 'maybe next time' if the deadline doesn't work for your schedule, but there is harm in overcommitting and failing to deliver. And if you're not sure when the writer needs feedback by, ask! 

Furthermore, most writers know their own strengths and weaknesses and should apply those to critiquing. For example, I'm good at writing scenes where characters sit around talking about things, and not so good at whiz-bang action sequences. So when I'm critiquing, I make it clear that while I may have high-level impressions about action scenes, those critiques should be taken with a grain of salt. 

2) Listen to the writer's needs. When I send a manuscript to a critique partner or beta reader, I'm explicit about the kind of feedback I want. Sometimes it's high-level thoughts about the book as a whole (Does the mystery's reveal work? Does this character arc make sense?), other times it's scene-by-scene impressions. Other writers may want line-edits, grammar checks, or formatting help. But if you're critiquing a manuscript for a writer who wants high-level thoughts, and you send back a version in tracked-changes with extensive line edits, the writer won't find that particularly useful. If you're not sure what kind of feedback the writer wants, ask!

3) Balance criticism with compliments. Secretly, every writer wants to receive glowing feedback proclaiming your work genius, perfect, Pulitzer-bound. But is that kind of feedback really helpful for getting a draft whipped into shape? If a scene works, and you don't see any room for improvement, say that, but be specific about what works and how the author succeeded. On the flip side, receiving nothing but negative criticism is demoralizing to a writer. Have some positive words for every manuscript you critique, whether it's something as simple as the concept, the main character's personality, or the font choice (kidding about that one. But seriously, use Times New Roman 12-point). My go-to ratio is 75% criticism, 25% compliments, but that changes depending on who I'm reading for. Some writers are more open to blunt critiques than others... again, it comes down to knowing what the writer is looking for.

4) Make suggestions, but don't be offended if the writer doesn't follow them. Neil Gaiman said, "When people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong." At the end of the day, your job is to tell the author when something isn't working, and maybe brainstorm some possible ways to fix it. The author's job is to find and implement a fix. If the author doesn't take your advice, that's okay, and doesn't say anything about the value of your feedback. Ultimately, it's the author's book, not yours.

5) Make yourself available for follow-up questions. As I'm working through revisions based on critique partner feedback, I'll often send quick emails to my critique partners if I need clarification on their notes or if I've edited a scene and want to see if it works. I've sometimes looked at revised manuscripts for critique partners after I've critiqued an initial draft. A lot of this will depend on your availability, but at least make clear when you send your notes that you're happy to answer any questions the author might have about those notes.

How do you provide helpful and timely feedback as a critique partner or beta reader?

Submission is now open for WRITE TYPE CP MATCH

We've talked a lot on Operation Awesome about the importance of finding good critique partners. A critique partner is critical to making your manuscript into its best version. They are good for sounding off when you have new ideas. They provide a shoulder to lean on through the querying and submission process. They are, in short, absolutely crucial.
If you don't have writer friends in real life, however, it can be tricky to find them. The Twitter online writing community is a goldmine of opportunities to find other writers, but how do you know if you'll really gel with one of them? I've had bad, good, and amazing experiences with finding CPs online, and it's still nerve-wracking for me to approach a new person with my work.

In an attempt to bridge that gap, WRITE TYPE CP Match was created! It's run by Kimberly VanderHorst, Caitlyn McFarland, and Rebecca Blevins. The basic idea is that you post a snippet of your work, along with details about yourself and your critique style. Then you browse through the other submissions, looking for people you might want to work with. If you tag someone who also tags you, it's a match!

It's like online dating for writers.

Anyhoo, I think it's a fabulous idea, and if you're looking for CPs--no matter where you are in the publication process--I suggest you head over to WriteTypeCPMatch.blogspot.com and submit. You have until December 3rd!

A Writer's Garden Party

Hi there! Today is my first official post and I just wanted to tell you how stoked I am to be here! I love that OA focuses on writing because over the past six years that's been my focus too. Which means I have TONS to share with you.

I knew you'd be dancing in your seat about that.

Quick intro -- I have two novels and one novella published, all part of an upper YA / New Adult time travel series. I'm also working on two non-fiction projects--one a memoir for the mom of a survivor, and the other a series of how-to books with another author. You may know me from around the blogosphere as I've been blogging for four years over at PK Hrezo - Fearless Fiction. You can now find me here every other Tuesday.

So what the heck is a "writer's garden party," right??

Allow me to elucidate ... There's an old song called Garden Party by Ricky Nelson. You can watch it on YouTube HERE if you're not familiar with it.

Over the years, this song has become more and more of a mantra for me. Even more so now that I'm a published author. Here are the chorus lyrics repeated over and over throughout the song:

"Well, it's all right now. I've learned my lesson well. You see, you can't please everyone so you've got to please yourself." 

Right? Don't you love that?? And the melody and mood of the song are so mellow and easy, it adds a contented acceptance to the lyrics. No anger. No bluesy melodrama. Just matter of fact and c'est la vie. 

Writing is like that. When we first start out we have so much to learn. We do our time in the trenches of critique purgatory and beta reading boot camp. We grit our teeth and forage through the growing pains because we know it'll make us excellent writers on the other side. We study craft books, attend workshops, sometimes endure a public flogging of our work, all so we can become better.

So others will read and love our stories.

And then there comes a time after all of that when we've earned a writer's garden party. We throw one for ourselves and toss aside all regrets and inhibitions. Because you can't please everyone so ...

                                             PHOTO CREDIT: pottery barn kids

... you've got to please yourself.

Case in point: With my most recent release, Induction Day, I knew there would be some readers who felt the first part was slow. But I also knew that for my story to work, the characters needed to grow a bit more together. My series is character driven. The story is about them, not the other way around. I deliberated over whether or not to cut some of the first part because I was afraid of losing readers. I had one critique partner tell me I should.

I had another critique partner tell me they thought the whole story was fast paced and how much they enjoyed the romance in the beginning.

Has this happened to you before? Conflicting feedback? Most likely yes. It's happened to me plenty of times, and it can be debilitating as a writer. So what did I do?

Threw a writer's garden party because I couldn't please everyone. I did what I wanted to do, which is follow my characters' lead. This felt right to me. I'm pleased with how my story turned out. But I knew when I published it that not everyone else would be.

Case in point number two: On my recent blog tour, one reviewer said the first part of the story didn't hold their attention as much as the second part when the plot really intensified. Another reviewer on the same tour said the exact opposite--that they preferred the beginning of the story when they learned so much more about how the characters intertwine and are bound to one another.

Same book. Different opinions.

This will always be the case with any book, movie, TV show, etc. With any story. Part of becoming an experienced and mature writer/author is learning to trust your instinct despite the naysayers. In the end, it's YOUR story, and only you knows what's best.

Don't get me wrong, I totally believe in getting as much feedback as possible and accepting constructive criticism so that our skills will grow. Chances are, if more than one critique partner or beta reader is telling us the same thing, then we need to listen and heed the advice. But if we're getting conflicting feedback, or if our gut is telling us one thing, and a CP another, then that's grounds for a writer's garden party.

                                          PHOTO CREDIT: animationoptions.com


Go on ahead and throw yourself one. It's fresh and calm and relaxing in there.

"Well, it's all right now. I've learned my lesson well. You see, you can't please everyone so you've got to please yourself." 

So tell me, have you ever received conflicting feedback on your story? How did you handle it? Do you think trusting your gut can be wrong sometimes? Ever thrown yourself a writer's garden party?
Please share ...

An Essential Part of Writing: Critique Partners

I originally shared this post on my personal blog, but wanted to share it on Operation Awesome as I feel very strongly about this topic.


Without my CPs, I would be lost. They steer me in the right direction when my plot is going off course. They lift me up when I'm feeling low about my ability and are always good for a laugh or smile when I need it. Writing can be a solitary job, but it doesn't have to be if you lean on the very supportive writing community.



I recently read a post on a writing forum where a person was rejoicing after getting a full request. It was awesome! The author got so many comments of congratulations, and I loved it. But then as I read further down in the thread my stomach started to knot. The person had written the entire MS, and queried it, without any beta readers or critique partners.


Now don’t get me wrong, this author could be the next Hemingway for all I know, but in my personal opinion not having another person look at your manuscript is NOT the best idea. Even if the story is pristine, it could always use another set of eyes to locate a misspelled word or a missing comma. Or on a grander scale, where the dialogue is awkward or the pacing slow.


My point? It always helps to have other people look at your work. Sure your sister and Grandma can give you great feedback, but what really helps is having another writer take a look at your manuscript. Someone who understands the ferocity of the publishing world and can help you make your work a hundred, maybe even a thousand times, better!


So where do you find a beta reader or critique partner?


1) You can start on the writing forums like AgentQueryConnect or AbsoluteWrite and a new one I recently found, CP Seek.


2) YA writer Maggie Stiefvater has a critique partner hook-up on her website as does former literary agent, Mary Kole.


3) Local writing associations like Romance Writers of America (RWA) and The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) also have local websites which allow you to connect with other writers in your community.


4) Twitter is an amazing place to find like minds! Just type in #amwriting or #writingtip and you’ll see how many talented authors tweet every day. Some may even offer up tweets looking for critique help.


The best thing about finding a really good beta reader or critique partner? They get you. They understand the daunting process of getting published, and can be a great source of not only inspiration, but support as you write the next amazing novel.


Have I missed another place where you can locate a critique partner? If so, please let me know in the comments.

 

You Finished Your First Novel! Now What?

If you just finished your first novel, congratulations! You have done something many people in this world cannot claim. It's a great accomplishment and you should revel in it!

Once your celebrating is done, then the real work begins. What? You thought you were done because you wrote "The End?"  No, sorry, if you want to get that baby published, you've got quite a ways to go.

Today, I wanted to share some of the websites I've found to be a tremendous help in navigating the world of publishing. In sharing these sites with you, I hope it well help your journey through the publishing world be a smooth ride rather than a bumpy disaster.

When I finished my first novel a while ago I began my crash course in Publishing 101. It started with learning how to write a query letter. When I struggled, I looked for examples to follow so I had some sense of what worked. One of the best places to find successful queries is at Writer's Digest. Check out this link for help: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/successful-queries

Along with a query, many agents now request a synopsis as part of the submission process. Author, Susan Dennard has a great post on how to write an all-compassing, streamlined synopsis here: http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2012/04/17/how-to-write-a-1-page-synopsis/

What if you're approached by a small press and don't know anything about them? Preditors and Editors is a great site to help you do research.

How about word count? Many agents and publishers have a certain set of parameters regarding how long your book should be. Literary Agent Jennifer Laughran has a great post about word count here: http://literaticat.blogspot.com/2011/05/wordcount-dracula.html.

Perhaps you're gearing up to write your next book and it's going to be Middle Grade or Young Adult and you need some advice on writing in these categories. Former agent Mary Kole has an amazing website that details everything from writing action to creating authentic voice. Find her helpful advice here: http://kidlit.com/

One last thing...

Once you've written your first novel, it is critical that you have beta readers and critique partners to help you. They can ferret out where your plot is failing or your pacing is off. Check out CPSeek or writing sites like AgentQuery Connect or AbsoluteWrite to find like-minded writers who can help you polish up that masterpiece you should be so proud of!

New Year’s Revisions Conference: The Critique Partner Connection Begins NOW!

Welcome to Operation Awesome’s Critique Partner Connection! Today’s all about finding that super awesome critique partner you’ve been missing out on. Whether it’s your NaNoWriMo project or an older manuscript that’s thisclose to querying, we here at Operation Awesome feel like you should find that fresh set of eyes to help you along the way.

The Critique Partner Connection is an all-day event. In fact, it’s an all-New Year’s Revisions Conference event! You can submit your info from now until January 7^th! That means you can collect as much super useful revision advice from our guests as you can while searching for crit partners! Double win.

Now for the rules.

Leave the following items in the comments section of this post:

1)    Your name

2)    Genres you write in (include your target audience: adult/YA/MG/children)

3)    Genres you’re willing to critique (same as above)

4)    A brief description of your current project (it can be as short as a one-line pitch, but no longer than five sentences)

5)  What you’re looking for in a critique partner (line edits vs. big picture, critique of a specific project vs. critique of all your projects, anything else you’d like to add)

6)   Your email address

7)   The first 200 words of your current project

That’s it! You can submit your info so others can contact you, but you can also contact others who enter the Critique Partner Connection! Now go forth and CONNECT.

Best of luck to all of you!