“How on earth did you come up with that idea?” someone asked me, after beta reading my book length story. “What do you mean?” They can’t tell that I’m slightly panicked, because we are conversing in text. But I am. I can feel the heat in my face, the worry gnawing at the pit of my stomach. Did they hate the whole thing? I struggle with negative feedback, and it’s not because I’m too prideful to think that I got…
Brace yourselves, Dear Reader, for I’m about to share a cautionary tale with you. One of woe, misery, and regret. One that’s completely avoidable if you heed my caution. Are you prepared? This story begins, like many stories, once upon a time. Although not so long ago, if I’m honest. In fact, it began just a few weeks ago at the time I’m hunched over my writing desk typing like a madman. You see, a week or two ago the…
I know most people adorn the walls of their homes with family pictures or expensive art work that moved them in some particular way. And while my homes do have family photos scattered around, the majority of our walls have words on them in the form of quotes that spoke to me. Near our front door we have a small piece that speaks about small houses and the love they hold, above the sink is a quote by Mother Theresa,…
One of the most important parts of writing is the feedback one gets. Did the reader enjoy the story? If not, why? Did they love the story, if so why? What was their favorite part? The questions can be quite endless, and just about all feedback is good because it helps one grow as a writer. Ahh, you caught that, right? I said, “Just about” because sometimes some feedback isn’t even worth the time and effort to read. Now, I’m…