Letting Critiques "Marinate"

Viewing our stories from the perspective of another person can teach us a lot about writing. Most serious fiction writers make friends with other writers and exchange critiques with them.* Critiques give us vital perspective on our creations.

*You can also exchange work on this great site, called Critiquecircle.com, where I learned how to self-edit by editing the work of others. Besides this, I learned many basic writing skills from the critiques of others, such as "showing" versus "telling." The website is essentially a free, online critique group.

However, we writers won't be able to understand that perspective, at first. It can be difficult for our minds to adjust to the lens of our critique partner's view. A partner's critique on my story often contains all sorts of hidden gold, if only I could mine it. In order to do that, I need to let the critique marinate in my mind alongside my story.

Then something magical happens (Magical, I tell you!). I suddenly see tons of ideas in the critiques that I never noticed before. It's like getting thoughts from several writers, instead of just one.

I used to read a critique once, maybe twice at most, before assuming "I got it."

No. No more.

Now, I have a process.

1. I read the original critique and let it sit for a day or two or more, depending on how it strikes me. I may or may take some notes on it, at this point.
2. Later, I read it again. I take notes on what I think is true, or what I think merits serious consideration. It's important for me to type it out the critique, or explain it out loud in my own words. As I do this, new insights from the critiques pop out at me.
3. I come back to the critique multiple times and reread it, eventually transitioning from the critic's words to my own digested version. I run through my story with them fresh in my mind, taking notes on revision ideas as I go (but not necessarily implementing all the changes I see). As I do this for a time, more things make sense and connect. This part is especially exciting when I have two or more critiques because the advice often overlaps in areas.
4. Finally, I implement the ideas from the critique (or ideas the critique inspired), starting with structural issues and ending with the nitty gritty. I can't say I stick to a list because sometimes new ideas pop up and I follow those. It's a haphazard, yet strangely, chaotically ordered process. (Sometimes it drives me a little insane because I like order. But writing is essentially ordering, so getting it done feels great.)

So, what can you learn from this, Scribblers? I don't know--maybe you'll want to try paying lots and lots of attention to the words of your own critics.

I was inspired to let critiques marinate by Kristin Cashore's wonderful blog post about how tedium and revision go hand in hand. (Kristin Cashore is the author of Graceling, Fire and Bitterblue, all of which are award winning female-driven YA Fantasy that I LOVE.) I highly recommend Cashore's craft post.

Photo Attribution:

By SJ Yang (Ganjang gejang  Uploaded by Caspian blue) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Library News and Upcoming Literary Events

The biggest news (officially announced here) is the Middletown Library's grand opening, which took place yesterday, so hurry over there today to check out the goods! 21256 Washington St. (in Middletown, obv.).

Recently I got off my figurative lazy butt (I am still on my physical lazy butt, healing from a stress fracture. Thank you to my dear friends who've been praying!) and checked out the Lake County Arts Council page for upcoming literary events. Holy cow, there are tons of things going on. Here, I listed mostly writing events, but there are also other poetry, art, cinema and theater events going on. If you want to know more, check it out here.

A 2 Day Writing Retreat with Clive Matson will take place  at the Lake County Arts Council Gallery, 235 Main St in Lakeport on April 20 4-6pm-April 21 10am-5pm. It will be put on by Poets and Writer's, Inc through a grant from the James Irvine Foundation. Clive Matson writes poetry, short stories, essays and plays. He has led writing workshops for twenty-five years, holds an MFA in poetry from Columbia University, and teaches at UC Berkeley. This is the big time, Scribblers!

Apparently there is also an ongoing writing group at the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse Museum for writers of all levels and genres. The best thing: it's free. I attended a similar group once at the Arts Council in Lakeport, and some great writers took part in the group critiques. If you're looking for a crit group, these meetings in Lower Lake might be just the thing for you. They run from 1-3 or 4 pm on the 2nd Wednesday of each month.

And, finally, the 6th Annual Mendocino Lit Fest at Mendocino College (1000 Hensley Creek Road, Ukiah CA.) is coming up on April 20th from 10am-4pm. This festival hosts writing contests, author readings and other celebrations of the written word. Last time I went, I got to attend a writing workshop by Jodi Gehrman, a Young Adult fiction author and my first writing instructor.  This is always a good time.

On May 2nd, there will be a free Writing Workshop at the Main Street Gallery in Lakeport from 6:30-8:30. Lake County's form Poet Laureate, Mary McMillan will be there.

The Fifth Annual Lake Renaissance Festival is coming up! How cool, right? It's on Memorial Day weekend, May 25th-26th at The Tuscan Village, a winery: 16175 Main. St. Lower Lake.

I hope you get to attend some of these exciting events, friends!

Works Cited:

Cook, Jan. "Lake County Library's Calendar of Events for April 2013." 12 April 2013. Web.

"Grand Opening Announced." County of Lake California: Library. 12 April 2013. Web.
<http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Lake_County_CA__Library.htm>

"Shortcuts to the Near Future." Lake County Arts Council. 12 April 2013. Web.

Photo Attribution:
By Stefan Doering (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Website Review: Figment.com

    

     There are lots of great online critique groups and writing communities out there for fiction writers. Figment.com is more of a "community" than a "critique group," which means it's more about staying creative and having writerly fun than it is about serious business. It is especially geared toward lovers of YA fiction & popular nerdy culture, e.g. Cumberbatch's Sherlock or the newest "books to movies," and toward literary teen girls.

Figment PROS:

• It constantly offers new writing contests with prizes ranging from exposure, advice or prizes from featured authors.  
• It also offers regular giveaways (usually books), free writing prompts,  and a helpful, informative newsletter that includes updates on contests, giveaways and upcoming events.
• It provides opportunities to interact with publishing insiders- popular authors (often YA authors), editors and other literary guests in moderated online events. The guests answer members' questions live. 
• Members get to read sneak peeks of new, popular books.
• The site is easily navigable, free to join and continually growing.
• Stories can be written or copy/pasted into the writer's profile (as opposed to uploaded in a file), which "feels" aesthetically creative.
• The community is eager, young & encouraging. Members are often looking for new writer friends with whom to exchange critiques.
• The site offers writing classes.

CONS:

• The services to serious writers are limited. If you are looking for serious critiques from equally serious authors, this is not the best place to hang out. The authors are usually beginners, and very, very few offer fabulous feedback. A few do, but there are better place to look for experienced writers and critiques. (I would recommend Critiquecircle.com.)
• The writing classes are not free (although everything else I mentioned is).
• Although a few contests are judged entirely by editors, many are based at least partially on the popularity of the writer or her story. Usually, the contestants are thinned out by popularity and the winners are chosen by editors. Obviously, this favors popularity more than skill, a downside for skilled authors who just don't have time to read through tons of other peer writings, and won't "heart" others just to get more hearts for themselves. The system is designed, of course, to be addictive and to promote activity. Luckily, it's easy to discover the judging criteria--just read the guidelines. 

     Overall, this is a terrific site for young, eager writers, especially teenagers over 13. I say "over 13" because most of the contests require that age level of the participants. The site provided motivation for me as a new, young writer, with its constant inspiration and contests; I still occasionally read the updates and enter giveaways or contests.

Death of the Author

Hey Scribblers!
As promised, guest blogger Teresa Loesch will now share on an important topic for writers: Death of the Author. *applause*

To my fellow writers: have you ever met an Explainer?

If you have, you certainly remember the experience. You read the Explainer’s work, you made notes, you formed opinions. You worked so hard to give them the most helpful critique ever. You cared.

Then you got to class, and some variation of the following conversation took place: (rendered in play format, since Christy mentioned I write them)

[Scene: a creative writing classroom, in the middle of a workshop critique of someone’s work.]

You: On page seven, when your protagonist was backing away from the campfire, it didn’t really make any impression on me. It could have been shorter.

Explainer: Well, that’s actually very important. The protagonist actually has a petrifying fear of open flame. 

You: Oh? That’s not mentioned.

Explainer: It was implied with the shifting shadows in their aunt’s house.

You: Oh, see, that wasn’t very clear to me.

Explainer: Well, alright. If you couldn’t see it…  

You: It could have been clearer.

Explainer: You missed it.

You: …

Explainer: *blah blah blah you read the story wrong and I’m a snob and it’s the way it is because I said so a long speech about the story goes here*

You: …

Explainer: *blah blah blah tons and tons of details and facts and things that weren’t even in the story why are they telling me oh for the love of all things good this is so boring I wonder what’s for lunch later*

You: … Okay, so why didn’t you put any of that into the actual story?

Teacher: Well, time’s up! Next person…

 [End Scene]

The Explainer already knows everything about their story, and if you didn’t get the exact impression that they intended to write, that’s YOUR fault. You’re a bad reader, and you should feel badly about it!

 I am officially making this farce academic with the introduction of today’s theme: death of the author. Not a literal death, but dead to the reading audience. Meaning, the author can’t explain everything away.

Basically, “death of the author” says that anything you want to impart, whether it be theme or detail, important or not, needs to be said in your written work. If you think a story should be sad, it’s your job to get in there and break the reader’s heart. If people who read it aren’t sad, then it’s your fault. I’m going to say that again:

 If the reader doesn’t ‘get’ your story, it is YOUR FAULT.

You should write your story with such clarity that the things you mean to say can’t be avoided without supernatural powers of obliviousness.

To put it another way, if I were talking to you and mumbled in a whisper, whose fault would it be if you couldn’t hear me?

That’s right, it would be my, the speaker’s, fault. If I want people to understand me I should speak clearly and loudly. If I choose not to do that, it’s no one’s fault but mine when no one listens.

If you are feeling guilty at this point… you should. I’m here to tell you that no one likes that behavior, and you could be running off people who honestly want to help you. However, just like any behavior, you can change it starting IMMEDIATELY!

How to Not Be An Explainer:

If you’re being critiqued…

1. Keep your mouth shut. Even if you have an answer for a critique or suggestion, now is not the time to mention it. When it’s actually in the story, perhaps in a direct quote, you can mention it. Otherwise the only words that should pass your lips should be variations on “thank you for your insight” and asking people to clarify their statements. Do your talking in the printed word.

2. Remember that everyone has valid input. People probably aren’t lying to you, so this is insight how to someone other than yourself feels about your work. Accept it, especially when it’s not what you’re hoping to hear. It can hurt to learn something you worked hard on isn’t working, but think how much more it would hurt if no one told you and it just went on being horrible and everyone thought so but YOU NEVER KNEW.

3. Even if something is in the text and you think the person honestly did miss it… make it harder to miss in the next draft, and let it slide this time.

4. If someone is harping on a point that you think you addressed, perhaps not clearly enough, try to politely let them know you got the message and will increase its visibility in the next draft.

5. Whenever the urge takes me to become an Explainer, I remember the irritation they produce in me, and that kills any urge I have to be like them.

6. Any time you spend talking in your critique is time someone could have spent giving advice or, better yet, heaping you with delicious praise. I’d much rather hear someone else praising my work than me justifying myself to the stony silence of irritated fellows.

So, my fellow writers, if you want to keep friends and actually get something of value out of critiques, please, please, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL GOOD THINGS… don’t be an Explainer.

For more information about Teresa, see my last blog post, where I introduced her and her blog (at the bottom).