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Let me know what you think
- Thread starter laboi_22
- Start date
Answer to Motokid's questions
Well Motokid I think that my story will always be mine. Before I even post something for feedback I kind of have ideas of what needs to be changed. Yes I write and re-write alot always using my first idea. Thats what some writers do. I want it to be perfect. I don't however always follow the advice of others. Anyway I thought this is intersting a direct quote from questions and answers with Jeffrey Dever at www.jeffreydeaver.com
"Q: Does writing come easily to you? Do you revise much?
Jeff: I wouldn't say it comes easily to me but I thoroughly enjoy doing it so I'm lucky in that sense. I revise a great deal. My publisher doesn't even get a peek at my manuscript until I've revised it at least twenty or thirty times (and I mean major revisions)."
Now if J. Deaver makes major revisions to his novel 20-30 times I have to start writing more. This would be just my 5th revision and it's only the beginning I have changed.
In all good question though!
Well Motokid I think that my story will always be mine. Before I even post something for feedback I kind of have ideas of what needs to be changed. Yes I write and re-write alot always using my first idea. Thats what some writers do. I want it to be perfect. I don't however always follow the advice of others. Anyway I thought this is intersting a direct quote from questions and answers with Jeffrey Dever at www.jeffreydeaver.com
"Q: Does writing come easily to you? Do you revise much?
Jeff: I wouldn't say it comes easily to me but I thoroughly enjoy doing it so I'm lucky in that sense. I revise a great deal. My publisher doesn't even get a peek at my manuscript until I've revised it at least twenty or thirty times (and I mean major revisions)."
Now if J. Deaver makes major revisions to his novel 20-30 times I have to start writing more. This would be just my 5th revision and it's only the beginning I have changed.
In all good question though!
Motokid
New Member
Yes, revisions are a huge part of writing, but how many revisions are based on the recommendations of total strangers from posting things on internet forums vs. revisions based on writing something, letting it sit for a while then re-reading it and changing things based on your own input?
Yes you need fresh eyes and ears to read your stuff and make comments. Yes you need some opinions from people who will give you the blatant honest truth and not be so concerned about hurting your feelings if they have to tell you they don't like something.
I'm just wondering how much stock you put into the critiques of forum members, and how much energy you put into revising the prologue knowing that there's an entire novel that might need to be revised just as much as the prologue does?
I'm sure if you read some of the Da Vinci Code threads you'll find out many of the people making recommendations about your work would have told Dan Brown he needed to completely re-write his book from start to finish. How much stock do you put into the critiques of total strangers?
It's like reading movie reviews or music reviews, if the person reporting the review does not have the same taste in movies or music that you do their review is really worthless isn't it?
Yes you need fresh eyes and ears to read your stuff and make comments. Yes you need some opinions from people who will give you the blatant honest truth and not be so concerned about hurting your feelings if they have to tell you they don't like something.
I'm just wondering how much stock you put into the critiques of forum members, and how much energy you put into revising the prologue knowing that there's an entire novel that might need to be revised just as much as the prologue does?
I'm sure if you read some of the Da Vinci Code threads you'll find out many of the people making recommendations about your work would have told Dan Brown he needed to completely re-write his book from start to finish. How much stock do you put into the critiques of total strangers?
It's like reading movie reviews or music reviews, if the person reporting the review does not have the same taste in movies or music that you do their review is really worthless isn't it?
Point Taken
I totally understand what you mean and where you're coming from. Like I have stated before at least half of the novel is written and untouched. I plan not to have anyone crtique it. I will do my own revisions. The only thing I can't seem to get right is the opening of the book. Because it is the most important. People won't even turn to page 2 if they aren't completly intruiged with page 1. So yes I will revise unitl I"m satisfied.
Like previously stated when I post my Prolouge up for review I have already an idea of what needs to be changed. I want to hear what others say even if they don't read or like my particular genre. The whole point in writing IMHO is you make people want to read it especially those who don't even like the genre of novels you write. You want people to be compelled to read the novel because it's good not so much because they like thrillers or dislike should I say.
Again I understand your point and to answer one final question as to how much stock I put in to my story or take from the feedback on this forum I don't I listen but again I don't always do what they say like I think only twice I've used the advice of someone on this board. Do you think I should take their advice? Do you think just because they are strangers I should refrain from listening to their opinions?
I totally understand what you mean and where you're coming from. Like I have stated before at least half of the novel is written and untouched. I plan not to have anyone crtique it. I will do my own revisions. The only thing I can't seem to get right is the opening of the book. Because it is the most important. People won't even turn to page 2 if they aren't completly intruiged with page 1. So yes I will revise unitl I"m satisfied.
Like previously stated when I post my Prolouge up for review I have already an idea of what needs to be changed. I want to hear what others say even if they don't read or like my particular genre. The whole point in writing IMHO is you make people want to read it especially those who don't even like the genre of novels you write. You want people to be compelled to read the novel because it's good not so much because they like thrillers or dislike should I say.
Again I understand your point and to answer one final question as to how much stock I put in to my story or take from the feedback on this forum I don't I listen but again I don't always do what they say like I think only twice I've used the advice of someone on this board. Do you think I should take their advice? Do you think just because they are strangers I should refrain from listening to their opinions?
Motokid
New Member
well, maybe joe average numb-nut won't turn to page 2 if the first page is not just the best damn thing ever written by any human alive, but I think you'll find that most readers will certainly give a book at least 50 pages before making the decision to trash or continue. You may be putting too much pressure on yourself to get the first page as perfect as the world will ever see.
I'd bet there's plenty of average American readers that don't even read prologues and skip right to chapter one.
And if you're having so much trouble with the prologue how do you know that the rest of your book won't have all the same troubles?
If you are able to create some miraculous prologue and then the main text comes nowhere near the excitment of the beginning isn't that just as horrible as any scenario you can come up with?
I'm having trouble with your idea that the prologue is "the most important part of the book?" Might be an intersting group of questions you could ask the forum?
And I would have at least one person who has never seen the book, or heard anything about it, read it outloud to you. You will hear awkwardness you never knew existed before when somebody else reads it outloud. It's an unbelievable tool. You also need to have an outside person check for spelling and grammer.
I'd bet there's plenty of average American readers that don't even read prologues and skip right to chapter one.
And if you're having so much trouble with the prologue how do you know that the rest of your book won't have all the same troubles?
If you are able to create some miraculous prologue and then the main text comes nowhere near the excitment of the beginning isn't that just as horrible as any scenario you can come up with?
I'm having trouble with your idea that the prologue is "the most important part of the book?" Might be an intersting group of questions you could ask the forum?
And I would have at least one person who has never seen the book, or heard anything about it, read it outloud to you. You will hear awkwardness you never knew existed before when somebody else reads it outloud. It's an unbelievable tool. You also need to have an outside person check for spelling and grammer.
Stewart
Active Member
Motokid said:
In this respect I nominate myself to be the outside person for Motokid in the continuing effort to get him to spell grammar correctly.
Regarding the prologue, is it really necessary? It just reads like someone getting killed with absolutely no foreshadowing at all. I say foreshadowing despite not having read the rest of the thing but I didn't get the sense that any clues were planted. In fact, I got the feeling that the prologue is just a bit of gratuitous violence tacked on at the beginning as a bit of extra padding to beef up the word count.
Consider not having a prologue. If you have to have some sort of backstory to explain your novel's later events can you truly say that you've told the story within the chapters?