By way of a Thank You

[cactuswatcher]

Some of you know I've been sending chapters of a book I've written to Old One. When it first started she was reading a normal-sized book and one I was willing to be pretty flexible on. For reasons I don't need to go into here she ended up reading a book of monumental size, that I'm pretty stubborn about. We know she can get pretty unhappy when Spike gets picked on and will say so. But, I'd like to say she put up with the usual artistic denfensiveness, the 'but, but, buts' and other nuisances from my side very admirably and never lost her perspective of what she wanted to see. She was very encouraging through it all. When she told me the biggest emotional turning point of the book didn't really work for her, (oof, that smarts!) she gave me very sensible advice of how to make it more believable, even if I think I have to stick with it the way it is. She has a different set of things she looks for in a book than I do, but she put up with the fact that I wasn't changing the book much to fit her good advice.. She was in a situatuion that could have been infuriating, but she went through it with no sign of ill-humor towards me.

Sometimes you can't even buy an honest opinion, but I always felt she was giving one freely. I d like to say that if Old One should ever ask you for a small favor, be generous. She's a friend worth having.

Comments

Writing feedback

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

A good "gentle reader" is a nice thing to have. Oh, I guess they call them "beta readers" now a days. I'm so behind the times. ; )

I paid money for the feedback I got on my present novel, but it was money well spent, because that woman persisted with me for two years while I hammered out an entire draft of my novel. And her feedback was always constructive, mixed with encouragement.

I am fortunate for that, and I am fortunate to be someone with a fair amount of confidence in her writing going into that whole process. I knew when she was right on the money about her criticisms, and I felt confident enough to reject her advice when I thought she was wrong.

And I count her as a friend, even after the whole process was over. No, because of it. You really get to know a person when you live in their fictional/writing head or let them live in yours.

Re: Writing feedback

[angeyja.livejournal.com]

Writing feedback is one of the most difficult touchy things I have ever had to do. I offered to do it once a back in December and pretty deeply regretted it, so big cudos from me if anyone can do it positively and truthfully. Not easy.

Wow

[an-old-one.livejournal.com]

Thanks. That made me cry.

(And I STILL want more!!)

O-O