- Joined
- Oct 24, 2011
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- Where faults collide
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- doggedlywriting.blogspot.com
I always remember starting out and someone offering to crit a chapter for me. I was pleased and grateful and sent it to them.
They sent it back with 80% of it struck out and a recommendation that I start over.
I nearly cried. But luckily, a couple of other people had critted the same chapter and given me both criticism and encouragement. And I'd had crit on here about previous chapters. But if I'd only had the first crit, I'd have probably given it up.
Be careful with new writers. Try not to crush them.
This is an example of why it's really a good idea to get feedback from more than one person, especially when you're just starting out. Some established writers say they don't let anyone read until the next to last draft and have only one or two betas (presumably people whose judgement has proven reliably useful), but this approach doesn't work for everyone, and definitely not for new writers. Sometimes the very thing one person hates will be what another person loves. If multiple people are having the same issue with your story, however, it's likely something to look at long and hard.
It's also good to keep Neil Gaiman's advice in mind:
“Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.”
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