Hi everyone, I know it's been a while since i came on here last but I'm feeling kind of lost. Ive never been a confident writer and had to overcome various writing barriers to get where I am now with my book, but it also feels like I'm never going to get there.
I finished my first draft of my book 3 years ago, but with a job and children i find it hard to get concentrated time just to write and edit. The problem i have is that I have no one to read it and help me to see the errors. Can anyone suggest a website where i can buddy up with someone who could help me and in return I would try and help them?
I'm just finding it hard when people continue to say a good first draft. Maybe it is time to give in.
Hi Emma,
Glad to see you have picked yourself up. Somewhat disappointed you didn't put the children on eBay lol but I fully understand. My boy is 19 now and he has spent the last two years in the army.... Believe me not my choice.
Remember most publishers do not like a overwritten book for a first-time author. I was told for my first children's book to keep it around 70,000 words anything at the hundreds and over would be totally dismissed.
Remember you have a voice and everyone's a critic.
Best of luck in your success hope to see you in Waterstones one day.
Emma-I also recommend youwriteon.com, I have found the critiquing very useful and it has helped me immensely, besides occasionally frustrating me.
It is difficult to reply one fiends and family to give you consistent, useful feedback, unless they have writing experience.
Damien, the few sentences you shared from 'The Lion, the witch and the w' were awkward ones. When I went back and read the whole chapter again, the sentences didn't stand out and were acceptable, as the audience, at least initially, were children and the language was simplistic and from Lucy's POV. The lesson learned form your exercise is that it is dangerous to get critiquing for small sections - the feedback is inconsistent and judgmental, seldom helpful. it is easier to critique short stories than entire novels, as sometimes the entire plot is important. I would always have the first 7000 words of a novel critiqued, as this is essential to hold a reader's or agent's interest.
Damien Isaak has said all you need to know really, get to where you want to be, let your editor worry about the next draft (and their will be one). Writing can be a lonely business with many distractions. But, if you enjoy what you are doing then don't give up.
For me, writing is really all about finding your own voice - everything else can be taught or learnt. people offering piecemeal critique is not helpful - just pushing peas around the plate and if anything it can be quite destructive on a number of levels.
My advice would be don't give up, learn how to edit a manuscript (plenty of books out there), go back to basics and find your voice (it took me ten years), here are two books that I always use, even now: The Art Of Creative Writing by Lajos Egri and On Film-Making by Alexander Mackendrick.
I published two books early in my writing career - both terrible. As I learnt more about writing I simply got worse at it, the more I tried the worse I became then I relaxed, went back to basics and things got better.
Good luck, hope some of this helps in some small way?