And thank you Marian for pointing out I could BLOG about this, as I worked two extra hours last night (grant season—that happens) and was brain dead for a topic, so I needed it badly!
Novel Feedback
So I've talked a little about this love/hate process... for me it is a 'hate it' initially, and then I feel pushed and poked and prodded to finally up my game and I am much happier with the product than I initially was, difficult as a first glance at the feedback would have found that to believe. I've learned to bite my tongue at first sight... I respond, “I will have to see what I can come up with”... and then trust the process.
Okay, that's a lie. It was definitely painful. But my acceptance of it wasn't that slow in coming. It just took a while to execute because it was pretty all-encompassing.
This round though, I felt more resistance... is she SURE? But... but... but...
One of them was a racial change of a character... avoiding a stereotype... and I GET it, but... you know... I LIKED it... but I see it, and came up with what I feel is a satisfactory alternative (and it allowed me to write a ginger into a primary roll... you know how I love my gingers...) and so I eliminated stereotypes on a couple levels where that character was concerned...
 |
| merely cryptically representative of my folly |
I was walking and editing (those of you new around here may not know I do that, but I do... I walk to and from work. Normally I read while I walk, but if I am editing, I read with a pen in hand and mark my changes... yes, still walking). The locals all know I'm eccentric. I couldn't tell you who, as I am looking at my pages, but occasionally they tell ME they know who I am.
Anyway... so I was walking and editing and something HIT ME... there is a time a teacher doesn't respond as much as it seems he should.... and there is a bunch of business he is UP TO that is distracting... but because I HAVE that 1) there is too much going on and 2) we can SEE he really should have noticed the other anyway....
But see, if I give a degree of separation between my MC (Helen, the ghost) and Allan, then HE can be busy and distracted and we only get what we need from it, and (catch this) he is busy elsewhere so the reader isn't tempted into calculating whether he realistically should have paid more attention... I mean LOOK at all he was dealing with! (though only in peeks)
It's funny how sometimes the solution is to take away information and leave more to the reader imagination.
But you know what I REALLY love? How ONE change can solve TWO problems. It may not merit an editgasm, but it is certainly worth a happy dance.
So how do you respond to major feedback? Do you love it? Hate it? Both?
