Aunt Gertrude
My agent has this pet peeve. A big one. He hates when he gets a query in which the writer says, "My friends/critique partners/writing class have read the book and love it." He says that's akin to saying your Great Aunt Gertrude read it. Your friends are SUPPOSED to tell you they like it. And even if critique partners like it, no agent, unless you have a "name" author or MFA professor in your group, can necessarily trust that. Nope. The proof is when it starts making the rounds to professionals.
And that's another point. Professionals.
Because one of the steps along the way is when you start to not "react" and defend your work from criticism. When you become a professional about your own work.
We should ALL believe in our story. We shouldn't be swayed every time we get a conflicting bit of advice. I have had writer friends ready to rewrite 350 pages from a SINGLE rejection. It's just one opinion. When you start accumulating them, all with the same general comment, THEN you worry.
So believe in our story, we must. But on the flip side? There are writers whose skin is so thin, they write lengthy soliloquies defending every aspect of their work from a critique. That's not the idea. A critique is an OPINION. But when you find a great editor, a great cirtique partner, that opinion is one honed by professionalism. So that's the time to take a deep breath. Don't react. BE with the critique or rejection for a bit. Discern what's of value.
Here's the thing. You want to play with the big boys? Really? You really think you're ready? Then Aunt Gertrude can't be the only one to read your work. At some point, it has to leave your circle. And that is just another step on your journey.
Thoughts? Have you moved beyond Great Aunt Gertrude yet?
And that's another point. Professionals.
Because one of the steps along the way is when you start to not "react" and defend your work from criticism. When you become a professional about your own work.
We should ALL believe in our story. We shouldn't be swayed every time we get a conflicting bit of advice. I have had writer friends ready to rewrite 350 pages from a SINGLE rejection. It's just one opinion. When you start accumulating them, all with the same general comment, THEN you worry.
So believe in our story, we must. But on the flip side? There are writers whose skin is so thin, they write lengthy soliloquies defending every aspect of their work from a critique. That's not the idea. A critique is an OPINION. But when you find a great editor, a great cirtique partner, that opinion is one honed by professionalism. So that's the time to take a deep breath. Don't react. BE with the critique or rejection for a bit. Discern what's of value.
Here's the thing. You want to play with the big boys? Really? You really think you're ready? Then Aunt Gertrude can't be the only one to read your work. At some point, it has to leave your circle. And that is just another step on your journey.
Thoughts? Have you moved beyond Great Aunt Gertrude yet?
Labels: professionalism, the art of critiques
posted by Erica Orloff at 6:41 PM
26 Comments:
Ouch! All fourteen writing fingers hurt reading this. (hey, told ya I sucked at math)
A while back, I got a generous agent 'R' offering me the use of their name and saying I could tell other queries they'd read the full and enjoyed it. That letter ended "keep writing, practice makes perfect". That book is withering on the PC. Because all I heard was 'not good enough'. PRACTICE
I'll curl up on the couch now and confess that I like the "Aunt Gertrude" feedback, but I have this thing inside me that automatically discredits those comments as kindness more than feedback.
I ripped bigtime recently, based on 5 comments all the same. And I haven't given it to 'Aunt Gertrude' ;-)
I wanna play with the big boys! I know they'll hurt me. Hell, I played co-ed hockey! I can take the checks (unless its straight to the jugular, poor Richard)
But yes, you have to reach past the stroking and hope for something that takes you to the next stage.
No matter how scary it is or how much it might hurt!
Hi Lainey:
Hell yeah, it hurts.
Seems like so much of writing is lessons learned--BEYOND grammar and so on.
It's kind of like "four out of five doctors recommend..." It means nothing. For all we know, the company hired four doctors, and so they naturally recommend the product, while the fifth, well, doesn't. We don't know that they are impartial.
I've become wary about reading manuscripts because the writer almost always gets defensive about my criticism. And I do criticize; otherwise I'm not doing anyone any favors. In my experience most writers asking for a critique are looking for validation.
I agree with Stephen about most writers looking for validation and that's human nature. I used to get terribly hurt by rejections but now after many knock backs plus some very close calls to success, the rejections don't touch me. There's always something else around the corner - an agent's request for a full, a competition win. I just keep on truckin'.
Hi Booklady and Stephen:
I have a very high regard for CPs and critique groups. But I know that they don't carry a ton of weight. And I also don't think there should be lengthy "defense." If your readers aren't getting what you are trying to convey, "convincing" them through debate won't help. A simple, "Thanks, good point," suffices.
Suzanna:
I still get hurt. But what used to hurt MORE was . . . friends reading things and saying, "It's nice. It's good." Whatever. At least with professional rejection and criticism, it's commentary.
E
There's so little consistency or even sense among why editors, agents or producers turn down work, at least mine, that I'm beyond defending it to them (at least in my mind). That doesn't mean I'm happy with being rejected, but I've increasingly decided it's so totally subjective that getting too freaked out by it is pointless.
On the other hand, in December, a movie producer was all hot and bothered to read the completed novel they had read a partial of, begged me to finish it by December 17th so they could read it over the holidays and make a decision, now, now, NOW!
So, 2 months later, yesterday, they decline.
THAT annoys me no end, although it's also a part of dealing with Hollyweird.
Mark:
I have been optioned multiple times. I've flown to LA to meet producers and have had them fly to ME to meet me. I have been "so close" on sitcoms, pilots, movies, etc. And not yet . . .
And I have decided Hollywood is even more crazy/frustrating than publishing--if that's even possible.
And yeah . . . it's so subjective.
E
The Big Boys are a rough crowd, lemmetellya, even when you're getting good feedback from industry pros.
Subjective, Mark? I'm starting to think capricious is more like it.
Jude,
Capricious.
Random.
Unpredictable.
Bizarre.
Weird.
Neurotic.
Psychotic.
Schizophrenic.
Bi-Polar.
Just plain crazy.
I have to feel it in my gut if that piece of advice is right or not. I've taken advice right way, and other times I just know it's wrong. If I don't feel strongly either way, I'll ask my CPs. I don't mention my CPs in queries -- or my aunts -- but I trust their opinion.
Hi Edie:
Very sage advice.
E
Critiques and opinions from professionals and amateurs alike are valuable in that you get to know how the reader is reacting to your words. I can't think of anything more valuable.
Besides, defense doesn't matter. It doesn't matter why you did what you did, it only matters the effect it has. In my last story, one reader wrote me confused about one thing. I do feel like I explained it properly in the story, but that's irrelevant. I need to know that one reader (at least) got confused.
Spy:
Absolutely! If what's on the page doesn't do it, defense doesn't help. We can't individually visit a bunch of readers explaining why we did this or that . . . .
E
Awesome post Erica.
The point of writing stories is really to share with other people. If the people who are reading the stories are not "getting" what I am writing then maybe, just maybe, there is something that I have to learn as a writer. If I want to grow and expand and become a better writer then I listen to the crit, the advice, and use it.
If I want to write for myself then I don't need to listen, I don't need external advice and I would most likely need to defend my writing against such advice.
I know I am definitely in the first place and not the second. I just don't bother with the "Aunt Gertrude" readers much and I don't expect critical advice from them.
When I feel my writing has progressed to a point that providing feedback won't be too painful to critical and professional readers, then I will start soliciting advice from them *wink*.
Before my critique group, I never had an "Aunt Gertie" critique, so I was pretty much on my own. The weird thing is that stuff went on to be published in one form or another. Although I love my crit partners immensely, we remind each other that these are mere suggestions. We don't treat our advice like it's the make it or break it gospel.
I know in my gut when my work is right or not, but I still like using my crit partners as backup. Something about saying "my crit partners liked it" is like showing your dirty underwear in public. IMHO, of course. ;-)
Hi Ewoh:
I think most of my poetry was self-purging. So . . . I didn't share much of it, and I still don't. You are right--you have a choice fo whether to share. But once you do . . .it's a different ballgame.
Marcia:
Thank you for my afternoon laugh!
:-)
E
You made a great point in advising one to stay with the criticism. There are times when the pros aren't right, or rather, the book doesn't connect with them. (I think that's a better way of putting it.)
That's the hardest part of this business is to find that one person who connects with the story and is willing to stand behind it. For us writers, publishing is very much an act of faith.
Cheers,
Mary C.
Hi Mary:
I agree. It's difficult to realize sometimes that it's all about finding that editor who believes in it and is going to fight for it,
E
I think because I was an editor before I started submitting work for publication, I would never, ever, ever DREAM of mentioning my crit partners in a query. The very thought makes me cringe, LOL.
As for advice, I recently received a number of requests for revisions on a submission that they all LOVED but not exactly as is. I am only making the requested revisions for one of the agents, as her advice resonated with me, and the others didn't. Are the other agents wrong, and she is right, who knows? But I'm only prepared to rip into my story on advice I feel comfortable with.
Hi Michelle:
In the end, it still has to be your book. Otherwise . . . it starts losing meaning.
E
Great post. I remember vividly the day I went from changing everything my CPs picked up (I suspect due to lack of confidence in my own ability), to making my own decisions whether to change or not, based on how I felt it affected the overall and their reasoning behind it..... it was a HUGE step for me!!
I've just moved past Great Aunt Gertrude, and it wasn't as scary as I thought, and I've gotten some really fantastic feedback that I think will help me to give my writing some more dimension.
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