This isn't my first rodeo with
IWSG-- I participated on my old blog every month. And, let me tell you-- this hop is amazing. I've brought various insecurities and fears to the forefront and been overwhelmed with reassurance and understanding from so many different writers. Thank you,
Alex J. Cavanaugh for creating such an incredible way for writer's to network and support one another!
Now, onto the confession : My writing 'voice' seems hard to swallow. What do I mean exactly? Well, I'm going through notes/edits/suggestions from a CP and I'm realizing that a lot of the suggestions completely change my writing style : the way I wanted something to sound/be read. I mean, when a page comes back almost fully marked with your sentences rearranged and a ton of words crossed out, you're kind of left thinking one word, and one word only:
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| Eva left her letter's like this on the fridge. Yikes. |
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I don't have a ton of experience with CP's -- but I'm feeling a bit discouraged: if they can't "get" my voice, will anyone? Does it mean that it sucks? I don't want to suck. But, I don't want to have to change my style completely just to get support/have people like it. Isn't there a happy medium? Just because one CP wants to change every single word in my WIP, does that mean they all will?
Help me! I'm feeling a bit defeated. Do you change everything that is suggested? Or do you pick and choose? And if so, how do you know what is valuable suggestions and what is able to be considered but not necessarily done? Tell me! Please!
Hi, Azia! Nice to meet you :D I LOL'ed at the combination of letters on the fridge. I've totally been where you are, and it's something we are at risk of facing every time we share our work with people. I've pulled my hair out over conflicting advice (get rid of this character! no, don't get rid of him, he's the best part of the story!). I say get as many opinions as you can, and if you start seeing a trend (like five people all say the same thing) then maybe you should consider it. But always stay true to yourself. In the end, your story is yours. Only you know it and know what's best for it.
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you too, Julie! I'm glad I made you laugh :) Thank you for the great advice!
DeleteHey Azia, I agree with Julie about looking for trends, but I caution you about that as well. There is rarely a critique from my CP's that I haven't somewhere in the back of my mind found myself. When it really comes to your voice, make sure you are casting your net wide. It maybe they aren't the right CP's for you. Good luck.
ReplyDeletehmm--- that is interesting! I'll have to keep that in mind. Thank you!
DeleteI think the more feedback you get the more you'll realise what is useful advice and what is just another person's style. You have to trust your self about which comments you know are valid. Sydneyaaliyah is right, I think when your CP makes a valid point it'll be one that you've been mulling over in the back of your mind already.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Your perspective is really helpful... I've never considered advice v. style before.
DeleteYou have to pick and choose what suggestions you want to incorporate. But first, maybe you should look for another CP. Not because the one you have is 'bad,' but if you feel like she's not getting your work, you might not be getting the kind of in-depth critique you want if she's constantly changing word order or punctuation or whatever.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, if multiple people are pointing out the same or similar issues, you should pay attention. :-)
I think I do need to broaden my CP spectrum-- Interested? HA
DeleteSometimes you and a CP don't "fit" just like not everybody is going to like your book. Other people might love the same thing that someone else hates. In the end, I think you have to be true to yourself. I've even seen an editor who tried to rewrite a story in their own voice (obviously, not a good editor). Take suggestions if they make sense, otherwise decline any change which changes you.
ReplyDeleteLaura Eno – A Shift in Dimensions
P.S. Do you realize your captcha is turned on?
LAURA THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!! You have no idea how many times I've tweeted complaints about CAPTCHA and here I am-- being THAT gal. *face palm*
DeleteI'll definitely keep your advice in mind-- thank you!
I think at the end of it, only you know what makes sense for your characters and your story. I had one person mention my voice also but that was one in 5 and she usually reads a totally different genre so it made sense she didn't connect. I knew this but wanted opinion for storyline and such, wait for more feedbacks before deciding... that being said. I did tweak the voice a teeny tiny bit. But follow your gut!
ReplyDeleteYou meant 'mock' up there, right? :P Nice to meet you!
Obviously I meant "mock"-- what else could it be?! ;) Hahaha Thanks for the advice-- I'll definitely get a bit more feedback before attempting any sort of overhaul.
DeletePick and choose. You also have to consider the source, meaning is this person giving the feedback a multi-published author or someone new to writing? In my writing group, we have both, and it obviously makes a difference. Not that a newbie can't know their stuff, but there's a learning curve, ya know?! Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you need to find some new CP's. You have to decide whether their criticism is constructive or destructive. And right now it seems to somewhat counter productive.
ReplyDeleteBlog: Queendsheena
IWSG Co-host
Am I an idiot for not knowing what "CP" stands for? Or for ending a sentence in a preposition? Or for not really knowing what a preposition is despite having obvious access to the internet? I thought "CP" stood for "Cerebral Palsy", but it doesn't sound right in context, especially in context. So confused. But, hey, I wish you luck...I think.
ReplyDeleteAll I can picture is the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other, while you sit in the middle and wait for them both to be quiet already. Silence is golden. Find your inner peace.
ReplyDeleteI recommend picking and choosing. You can't make all the changes suggested to you, because the work will not be yours anymore. Listen to your instinct. If the suggestion sounds good to you, and maintains the original tone and intent of what you wrote (assuming your still happy with that) then make the adjustment. If the suggestion sounds good, but doesn't quite fit you or your story, try to pinpoint the reason they made the suggestion. If possible, ask them about it. There's nothing wrong with going back to a beta reader for more clarification. When you can pinpoint the root of their problem with the original prose, you can adjust in a way that will suite you. And, at those times when a suggestion makes absolutely no sense to you, ignore it. You don't have to make any changes that a beta reader suggests. It's your work, and they only agreed to read it and offer their opinion. They have no control or say in what you do with their opinion or your work.
ReplyDeleteThat is why it is so vital that you distance yourself before making any changes. Don't cut the heart out of your story. So many times, CPs want to change the prose to fit their voice. That's simply inexperience on both your parts. Given some time, you'll recognize when that's happening. Now, if it's grammar and sentence construction, the answer to whether they're right or wrong is at your fingertips, the internet! What you're going through... we've all had to deal with.
ReplyDeleteI've had critiques from others where I had to step back and examine each note and decide if their suggestion fit the story. You don't have to change the things they say. Nothing wrong with picking and choosing. Just consider what they suggested and maybe you'll find a way to make the sentence/paragraph/scene better without sacrificing your voice but puts their advice to use.
ReplyDeleteIt's possible they're being too intrusive on voice. Depends on why they're marking/changing it.
ReplyDelete(I ask my critters to give me a reason behind their marks if they feel the need to significantly alter a sentence or paragraph. That way, even if I reject their wording, I can fix the underlying problem in my own writer's voice.)
No. You don't take every suggestion.
One thing that helps is to have several (at least 3 or 4) people crit the same part. Then you compare their notes. If, say, 3 out of 4 people mark the same thing, then you should probably change it. If only 1 out the 4 does, then only change it if it makes sense to you. Usually it's something subjective not shared by the majority. But sometimes, that 1 person will catch something valid that the others missed.
HTH
Thanks for visiting my blog.
IWSG #123, until Alex culls the list again. :)