Writers cannot objectively judge their own work. Let me be so bold as to say that I think it's next to impossible.Sure, we can pick up an old manuscript, after weeks or months, and look at it with fresh eyes. We re-read it with the knowledge we've gained in the interim and usually our mistakes glare at us.
But. . . even then, we can't see the entire book as critically and impartially as it needs.
In some ways, we can compare our writing to a theater production. The book is the stage, and the story with its unfolding drama is the production. As writers, we act out the parts of ALL our characters and the more we know each character, the better we can play their parts.
But, because we're on stage and so intimately involved with the inner workings of this production, we can't possibly see the big picture. Only someone who's sitting in the auditorium watching it all come together from the first act to curtain fall can truly view it as it's meant to be seen.
Who's in your audience? Hopefully some day our readers will pack our auditorium. But wouldn't we all like to have a few good critiques before opening night?
Who are we calling on to give us those critiques? Who do we want to invite into the front row to watch and give us the feedback we need? A proud and adoring mother? A second cousin who wants to take up writing some day? A fellow actor who has their own show down the street? Or a stage director who knows the ins and outs of production?
Most likely we'd find something of value in the feedback from anyone watching our show. But who will give us the most helpful insights on how to make the production the best it can be? In other words, whose critique would we trust the most?
This week I'd like to discuss how to get the feedback we need for our books. Specifically I want to talk about the pros and cons of using freelance editors. I liken them to the stage director or theater instructor, the experts with the experience and trained eyes.
However, for today I want to end by saying this: Every writer has to get to the point where we realize we can't go forward alone. Well, I guess we could. . . but then we're taking a huge risk. What if our show is a flop and we don't find out until too late? What if the crowd is bored and leaves during the half-way point? Or worse, what if they boo and hiss at us.
Personally, I'd rather have someone tell me my production stinks long before opening night. I'd like the opportunity to smooth it out and get my characters on cue. I want the chance to cut and add scenes that make the audience laugh and cry in all the right spots. And I want to craft an ending that moves the crowd to their feet with cries for an encore.
I'm convinced we cannot reach that level of skill without feedback, particularly qualified and objective feedback.
What's your opinion? Do you think every writer NEEDS feedback? Was there ever a time when you didn't think you needed it? Why?
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Jody I share your sentiments on feedback completely. It seems essential to have quality, publishable work. I sent off my first few chapters to Christian Writer's Guild last year, and I cannot tell you how invaluable their words were.
ReplyDeleteI still carry that critique with me. I plan to go that route again and again!
Hmmm, good questions. I'm torn on this.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think every writer can use feedback. But if it's always necessary...I'm not sure. It probably is. I'm thinking of older authors who wrote classics, but I bet even they had feedback from people. They had editors, right? (sad that I don't know, lol)
Good post, Jody.
I know my stories would be much worse without the wonderful people who've given me advice on them.
oh yes, I totally agree. We cannot write in a void. At some point we have to let others into our space to see things we ourselves will never see. I am a much better writer because of my beta readers :)
ReplyDeleteFeedback is imperative, in my opinion. I think you also need a variety of people looking at your work. My dad has looked at mine and gave excellent advice (since he is an editor), but he doesn't read romance, so he did not understand certain things that pertain to the romance genre. While I found a crit group that writes romance, they don't write inspirational romance and won't be able to help with with the spiritual thread. I've recently found someone to swap WIPS with who writes inspirational AND romance! (Thank You, LORD!)
ReplyDeleteSo yes, we need eyes, but we need the right kind of eyes to look at our work.
love your posts..
ReplyDeleteAlways knew I needed feedback- asking for it was scarey-finding honest/insightful/trustworthy friends hard- after all, you are handing them your heart on a silver platter
very grateful for the friend who encouraged me for years, then for the writer's group that formed w 3 other friends.... wondering about the idea of something like Christain Writer's Guild mentioned above
(also) find that writing w the knowledge that someone else knows about this keeps me accountable- they are expecting to have something to read so I can't keep putting it off
Hey Jody!! The age ol' question for writers. Feedback. Should I or shouldn't I?
ReplyDeleteI want to be in a position to where I can get some professional advice for my work. Financially speaking, that is. Do I think it's a necessity on my road to becoming published? No. But I truly value the opinion of my peers and wish to grow as much as possible. So in that regard it is helpful.
I know a YA writer who has a few books published and he has deals for two or three more, who does NOT believe in crit groups or feedback of any kind.
He doesn't value other writers opinions. Sad, huh?
I love this post Jody. (^_^)
I need feedback...someone with a big red pencil who's not afraid to mark up my pages!! I need the someone to be a seasoned fellow fiction short story writer who will critique and encourage me. I feel like I can't submit anything else until I find a critique partner. It's important to me that my stories are polished, flawless and attract the interest of my audience.
ReplyDeleteYes, 100% yes. We need objective feedback. That's a must.
ReplyDeleteJody, Excellent question and one that every writer must consider. With few exceptions, some feedback is necessary to a writer, but as others have already pointed out, it's necessary to recognize where it's coming from and respond (or not) accordingly. My barber's input might be extremely valuable if he's representative of my target audience, whereas another writer's advice about my medical suspense might not be helpful at all if his experience comes from writing a book about favorite hymns of the presidents.
ReplyDeleteFeedback is critical in getting us to review our work objectively, and make changes and learn and grow in skill through the process.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree!!! Feedback is so important to perfecting your work. I wouldn't be half the writer I am now without the feedback I have received.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I completely agree. I'm considering hiring a freelance editor for the first time this year and am nervous about the reality check I know it will be.
ReplyDeleteFeedback is essential.
ReplyDeleteI submitted the first 1,000 words of one manuscript to Miss Snark's First Victim's site for a critique. Let me tell you, the comments about the main character really opened my eyes. I hadn't realized the impression said character was giving to the readers. I have since change quite a few things to make the character a) more sympathetic and b) less stereotypical. In the end, the feedback helped me create a better character . . . well, at least in my own delusional world!
I know the thought process on feedback is don't let your friends give you feedback. Well, luckily, I have a very good friend who is brutally, brutally, brutally honest in every aspect of her life. If she says my novel stinks -well, it stinks. If she says she loves it, well, then I know I've done a good job.
As for her honesty, she once told me, and she was right, that I looked like crap and needed to take better care of myself. Enough. Said.
So, to every writer: get feedback, honest feedback, and don't get all defensive. : )
Love the comparison! Yes, I think that every writer needs feedback. An outside perspective from someone we trust and respect is helpful, even necessary.
ReplyDeleteI've always known that I needed feedback, but occasionally hesitate in case the feedback is not great. But in the long run for the big picture, it's worth the perceived risk:)
Good post, thanks!
Blessings,
Karen
Great analogy, Jody! A very important one, too.
ReplyDeleteIf we want to grow and be honest about ourselves as writers, yes.
ReplyDeleteMy crew: four critique partners and another respected agented writer.
~ Wendy
If you're only writing for yourself and no one else will ever see your work, then you might not need feedback. But if you want even just one other person to see it too, then HECK YEAH, get all the feedback you can. That's my philosophy.
ReplyDeleteI've worked as a professional writer since 1984 -- newspapers, magazines, books -- and I appreciate this question. I do think every writer needs constructive feedback, but it should come at a time when the writer is ready for it. I've been in critique groups where others have destroyed a budding writer's project. The work wasn't ready to be shared yet.
ReplyDeleteChoosing the right time to seek out feedback is important. It's also important to choose the right people to review your work.
And of course, when the work is published, feedback is the fuel that keeps the creative fire burning. My readers kept me going through the years I was writing a weekly newspaper column. Their feedback helped me choose the topics I covered, and their enthusiasm kept me afloat during those weeks when I felt I'd run dry...
Absolutely. There was a time when I thought I could get by on the feedback of family. And although they did some great things for my manuscript, it didn't get really good until my beta's got a hold of it (and it probably helps that one of them is an editor in real life).
ReplyDeleteOh Jody. I could not agree more with this post. The last thing you want to do is write yourself in a 100K word hole and then try and backtrack and dig your way out. Yes. Every writer NEEDS feedback. I could go on for hours on this very post alone.
ReplyDeleteJody, I sure can't speak for every writer, but it sure helps me. For this my fourth book, my agent is looking over the "skeleton" as have my faithful few, strong, and brave, to see if we can get the structure right.
ReplyDeleteKinda like building a house--building anything, huh?
Great post!!
Patti
Yes, I definitely think every writer needs feedback. Even now, after I've gone over and over my stuff, and I know a few things I didn't know before, it always helps to have someone else give their opinion.
ReplyDeleteI think the key is finding someone you trust. And for me, it usually helps (a lot) if I have a personal relationship with that person. That way, I don't feel attacked or embarrassed when their feedback lands in my inbox. So I'm not sure how a freelance editor would work for me.
I definitely need feedback to move my writing and my stories forward. I haven't found many YA writers in my neck of the woods so I am always looking around for critique partners. Someone elses eyes are vital in terms of moving forward.
ReplyDeleteJody, this is spot on. I think a writer crosses into the professional realm when she realizes she isn't the sole creator of her work. Yes, she put it into motion. No, it would not exist without her. But there are other elements that also shape the work and are absolutely necessary to its success. I have never joined a critique group, but I have trusted readers I use for feedback. I don't know that I've read a book yet that doesn't mention the many people who contributed, first and foremost, readers who offered early guidance. I am so glad you brought this up because it's not talked about nearly enough, and it's crucial.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think every writer needs feedback. The longer they write, the more serious feedback they need--from people that are qualified.
ReplyDeleteI was at a point a long time ago that I didn't really consider specific feedback a necessity but I realize now how beneficial it would have been to me--especially in the beginning. I would have grown faster and become a better writer in less time. But now, I really appreciate getting feedback and believe I will long into my writing career.
Feedback is a definite must. I look forward to your posts about feelance editors.
ReplyDeleteGreat comparison, Jody! I think every writer needs feedback. Some writers are more adept than others at conveying ideas into print with finesse, but I don't think anyone is impartial enough to evaluate one's own work with the kind of brutal honesty that's necessary before putting it out for public consumption. As the story's creator and writer we read it with eyes that only see it the way we envisioned it, not how it resonates from the page. Personally, I need the security of thorough critiques from qualified readers before I'm ready to let (a.) an agent or editor pass judgement and (b.) the paying public and reviewers tear it apart.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I miss so much when I look at it myself. Having another set of eyes not only helps, but it helps to make me a better writer and try to catch some of those errors.
ReplyDeleteOn-and-off, through the month of January, I've been posting some of my experiences with the ACFW critique group. I am now in a smaller group. I'm amazed at how much I've changed in that short time.
ReplyDeleteI told my mom about some of the "blood" shed by my fellow critters. She was so shocked that my book received criticism. She, of course, thought it was perfect :-)
Yes, I think feedback is very, very important. But one has to be careful when listening to said feedback as it can be subjective, as well. Heck, this whole writing business is subjective! What one person finds at fault in your manuscript, another could absolutely love.
ReplyDeleteDo you think every writer NEEDS feedback? NO, NO, NO oh wait I think I'm in fantasy land again. Okay, yes.
ReplyDeleteWas there ever a time when you didn't think you needed it? I was in high school.
Why? 'Cause hey, I was in high school.
Yes. We all need feedback. Period.
ReplyDeleteHave a good one!
I have to totally agree. I can't be overly objective about my own work no matter how long I leave it. We're too close to our own project and after awhile we don't even read what is on the page anymore, we read what we think we wrote.
ReplyDeleteFirst stages of feedback I just like to hear from friends and family. Does the story work, do the characters work, etc. However, eventually someone (such as an editor) is going to need to see it to start pulling apart the more technical aspects.
Thanks for a great post and it was interesting reading some of the comments people have left.
Absolutely every writer needs constructive feedback! But a writer also needs to know when to use a piece of advice, and when to stick to her original guns. It's a balance...
ReplyDeleteHi Jody,
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more. I enjoyed leading a critique group for over a year--and learned a lot from the experience. Even though it seems my internal editor is always "on", I prefer another pair of eyes on my work. It's just wisdom.
Hi Jody -
ReplyDeleteI knew I needed critiquing, but wasn't always wise in my choice of reader. Friends and relatives love everything you write because they care about you. They also don't have the knowledge to critique a manuscript.
With the Genesis contest open for submissions, I'm considering throwing my hat into the ring. The feedback would give me some idea whether or not my book is ready to submit to publishers.
Blessings,
Susan :)
Balance is the key.
ReplyDeleteQuite a few of the great works and authors we now admire were not well received by editors of the day. Their work was too new, too different.
I think feedback from readers (not necessarily relatives and friends) is important. The author's original vision is important. Advice from a wise and well-chosen editor can be crucial. It all should work together.
Definitely we need critiquing and feedback. Like you, I'd rather find out if something doesn't work before an editor/agent/the reading public sees it.
ReplyDeleteYes! It is so vital. I'm so thankful for those who have critiqued my stories. They are better for it--and I'm a better writer because of it.
ReplyDeleteI don't see how a writer can grow without feedback! I've recently joined with a crit partner and I received feedback from a contest I entered. AMAZING! Some comments stung b/c it meant tweaking a lot if I took their advice, but for the most part, the unbiased comments were absolutely true of things I needed to work on and I was very grateful!
ReplyDeleteI love AND need feedback, at all stages and levels. But I don't always need the same feedback.
ReplyDeleteWHile I wrote my first book, as I wrote a chapter, I'd e-mail it to my mom. Her feedback is what I needed, because she was honest in the little things she didn't like, she ignored stupid typos since it was a rough draft, and she doted on my writing saying she couldn't wait to read more.
What I needed most... at the time... was encouragement.
After I was done though, I needed someone to tell me how bad my book stunk, so I could hunker down and start the overhaul that is massive edits.
Oh yes. Certainly we need feedback but not from those cousins and husbands and well-meaning friends. I agree about hiring an editor to look over our work--someday I will be doing that. For now, I enter contests with good judges, and use my critique group. All the feedback gives me useful information.
ReplyDeleteFantastic post, as always.
ReplyDeleteI do better with feedback and it is for that reason I started my blog.
ReplyDeleteWarm regards,
Simone
Just adding my appreciative thanks. My better informed note taking self glad to have found you.
ReplyDeleteI think GOOD feedback is priceless. But we have to find those people we can trust. As someone who was once in a critique group with a hateful, snipy woman who had a particular distaste for the type of book I wrote, I can say that enough of that and it really does start to wear on you. When you find yourself feeling downtrodden you have to ask yourself, is this the right environment for me to grow as a writer?
ReplyDeleteEveryone needs feedback and honesty and expertise are important when you are looking to improve anything.
ReplyDeleteYup, we all need feedback. Sometimes we just get too lost in our own story. We can't see the tree through the forest.
ReplyDeleteI just sent my first 50 pages of my new WIP to my beta gals. Can't wait to hear their feedback (good and bad) while we're in NYC this weekend at conference. :)
Jody,
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts as always!
Short of hearing God speak to us via a burning bush every writer needs feedback...for all the reasons you mentioned. It's not always easy or pleasant, but this process makes us better writers and communicators.
That said, it is certainly possible to over-critique a piece and take all the heart and sparkle out of it.
Great post.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think at some point we all need feedback. Maybe as a brand new newbie it would have discouraged me. But about a year into the process it became critical. Without my crit partners I'd be off in the weeds.