Something Like This, But Not This
Writing can be one of the most confusing professions around. We’re told that agents and editors are looking for something fresh and unique–but not too fresh and unique. We go to our critique group or send out our manuscript to beta readers and what one person loves, another hates. And everyone wants to tell us how they think our book should end.
And we end up feeling exactly like this . . .
Have you ever been in a situation where none of the advice you’re being given makes sense and you start to suspect that the person giving it doesn’t have any more of a clue than you do? 😉
Jan 28, 2012 @ 10:49:32
Oh, wow that was hilarious! I think I feel like that guy in a lot of different situations. At work, asking for directions, pretty much any time I need advice. It’s like no one wants to give the wrong answer, so they give five different answers. It never helps! Thanks for sharing.
Jan 28, 2012 @ 11:14:04
You’re welcome. Definitely that’s the case when someone is giving directions. Worse is when two people are trying to give directions, and they don’t agree!
Jan 28, 2012 @ 13:55:27
Too funny! This could be shown at a critique group on what not to do. Love it. Thanks for sharing, Marcy.
Jan 29, 2012 @ 13:25:40
You’re welcome 🙂 You’ll have to keep it on file for if you ever find yourself as the founding member of a critique group. You can show it at the very first meeting 😉
Jan 28, 2012 @ 22:57:44
Lol. Oh, I can so relate. My uncle, bless his heart, read my paranormal romantic suspense novel, even though he is a hardcore Sci-Fi guy. Well, after he read it, he sat down and for an hour started telling me how I needed to rewrite the beginning to add a prologue that would span centuries of history, and then beyond. He even brought in a whole other planet where my MC should be from, its history, how it exploded and she was the only one to survive. Lol, all I could do was sit there and try to smile and nod.
Jan 29, 2012 @ 13:26:20
Haha. So basically he wanted to change your entire genre. Sounds like he meant well at least 🙂
Jan 29, 2012 @ 12:06:41
Yikes, that was funny! I need to keep this on my phone to show people like Angela’s uncle… ; )
Jan 29, 2012 @ 13:24:01
It’d be good to pull out if you ever find yourself in a bad critique group too, the way Steph suggested 🙂
Jan 29, 2012 @ 15:10:37
OMG it’s every collaborative project I’ve ever done in my life… All you need is a 3rd person running in and out of the room every 5 minutes to ask the professor something…
Jan 30, 2012 @ 16:18:04
Haha. I hated group projects in school for that very reason 🙂
Jan 29, 2012 @ 17:22:18
That’s great, Marcy. 🙂
We have to learn to listen to our instincts instead of other people!
Jan 30, 2012 @ 16:17:18
So true. My co-writer and I ended up doing almost a complete rewrite on our WIP this year because we wrote the first draft with other people in mind and then chose to trust our instincts with the second draft.
Jan 30, 2012 @ 11:06:20
I was just about to say what Sheila did. 😉 I’ve been learning so much about this since I started working with my agent. Many of the changes I made based on others’ insight are going back to my initial choice. Planning a post related to the topic on this… Such a learning curve and parts can certainly be frustrating and/or grueling—but also, hopefully, worth it.
Jan 30, 2012 @ 16:17:35
I’m looking forward to reading that post 🙂