Update on my book ....I am done recutting and plotting my book.
Now comes the hard part - reading it aloud.
I am fine with reading it aloud - but to whom? (impressive grammar huh?:) So what are my options:
1) Critique Group? - Yes I have a fabulous critique group that has read about 2/3s of my book BEFORE i just replotted and rewrote the entire thing. So I cant really start over - can I? After all - to get through 35 chapters - meeting twice a month - is another 17 months! I don't want to wait that long. Call me impatient but I am ready to birth this baby and introduce it to the world.
2) My poor hubby! He'll probably be the one drafted in the end - and he would not object for fear of sleeping on the couch - but I feel sorry for him. Having almost married a well-known writer myself - I know what it is like to spend your weekend(s) and nights across long hrs drudging through dialogue over and over. My hubby has already listened to many chapters read, redone, replotted, tweaked, and then re-read again. I am pretty sure he is over my book at this point. I don't blame him. He is always supportive and probably would not admit it but I am pretty sure that he is that kid in class that when the teacher asks a question. He waits to see if anyone else will raise their hand first. BTW - everything to him is "great writing sweetie" or "I think it's a bestseller." Call me crazy but I prefer people to RIP it apart!
3) My mom? Thank god for Moms! They will listen to their kids spill on about pretty much anything. I think my mom listened to me spouting on about platypuses (or is it platypi?) for a long period of time (this is a whole other blog topic but I am obsessed with the platypus right now. Fascinating creatures.) My mom is a great reader but I cant read aloud to her - no time nor patience. She does ask alot of questions so it would probably take twice as long as my critique group (sorry mom!)
4) Friends? - none of which really read let alone "children's books". I prefer to use them for to complain about my impossible schedule, to cry on their shoulder, laugh, buy my a cup of coffee when I am broke, or other unplanned favors :)
5) Family - too loaded with personal issues and baggage. And its the holidays - I need to keep things simple.
Where does that leave me - I guess me and my dog, Bud, my really old Jack Russell "Terror" who I just now remembered in COMPLETELY DEAF? In this case, I guess that is lucky for him :)
So I guess I'm back to just....
Me, myself, and I.
7 comments:
I dunno about reading out loud, but when I wanted to get some feedback on my book as a whole I picked out a person in my critique group whose writing I respected, and who I thought I could count on to give me serious and useful criticism. In return, I offered to critique her work. This was much more useful than having everyone hear a few pages a week over 17 months. After all, how can you track plotting issues at that pace?
The way I dealt with the manuscript was to make a big document containing all the chapters, format it in a smaller font with smaller margins, and print it double-sided. I then took it to Lazerquick to have them coil bind it. This took my 350 page manuscript down to about 175 pages (which was less than 90 sheets of paper) and made it much more user-friendly than a box full of unbound pages. You might try that technique and see if you can get some feedback. It worked for me.
Thanks for the tip. I may use this on my hubby. Its only 50 pages at 2 point font :) Great idea
send it to me!
One, love the pic of you and your deaf devil dog; Two, i am impressed that your hubby listens to you reading your book. My hubby's eyes would glaze over in two seconds. He's a CPA so I have him help with business letters but the creative stuff? No.
Okay, I went through all the posts tagged "Dog." So then, naturally, I looked for posts tagged "Cat." And, to my deep dismay and horror, I discover you HAVE NONE! How can that be? Some of my fondest writing memories include a cat purring on a lap on or my drafts while I click-clack away.
I read aloud to myself. Which is not smart when I'm out in public.
This is why I usually write in my basement. :)
Re: the picture of you and your dog (precious). Can your dog do that (curl his lip) on command? Cuz it's just too cute...gonna go and hug my doggie now.
Post a Comment