THE GIFT HORSE YOU LOOKED IN THE MOUTH

In February, The Quill offered our members a free subscription to a service called AUTHOR SALON, a 24/7 writer’s conference complete with online critique groups AND a slew of big time agents and editors who regulary shop member's work. Michael Neff, the gracious brainchild behind AS told me he was disappointed that there was no response from our membership besides me.

Granted the signup process is hard for folks who hadn’t been to one of his pitch conferences.  It forces you to think of your work on a marketing level that often times reveals the flaws in your story. But the good news is, AS also requires that you be in an AS online critique group made up of members who write in your genre, and with four other sets of eyes, the flaws are easy to fix.

Does it require a lot of time? YES. But each month, dozens of projects written by aspiring authors on Author Salon have been requested by New York publishers and literary agents on both coasts--all part of Author Salon's ongoing "Literary Showcase" initiative. Genres represented include mystery, young adult fantasy, upmarket and general fiction, women's fiction, adult fantasy and SF, historical fiction, and more.

Which is where the gift horse comes in. If you looked at AS http://authorsalon.com and found the FREE lifetime membership daunting, but you’re still  in this to publish, look again.  You may have to pay a few dollars a month for the service, but it’s worth it if for no other reason than you’ll know IF your idea is marketable, and you’ll have a clear understanding of HOW to sell your work at The South Carolina Writers' Workshop Conference in October. And, most importantly, you’ll have a polished first 50 pages and a great pitch, which makes a dandy query letter.

An Unknown Imperfection in My Foot and How it Relates to Writing

On Monday, I went to the podiatrist. I've known for several years that I needed surgery on both my little toes. Without going too deeply into detail, I have curved toes--a genetic thing prevalent in some ethnic groups--that makes wearing shoes, any shoes,  VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.

When the doctor came in with my x-rays and pasted them on the light board, she smiled and said, "See anything strange?"

I said, "You mean other than the fact that my toes are C-shaped?"

She placed her pointer on the left pinky toe. "You don't have a joint there. It's fused. How have you been able to wiggle your toe? No wonder you're in pain. Not only do you have the curvature, but your little toe won't move  left to right to accomodate shoes."

Silly me. I thought my toe wiggled just fine. It does when my husband winks at me, or when I get really soft cashmere socks for Christmas. At least it felt like a wiggle to me. Apparently, I've been wrong for more than thirty years.

On the way home I wondered how many other imperfections may exist that I just can't see, that I will never know about until another issue brings them to light. Then I realized the same concept applies to my writing. How many issues are there that I just can't see or can't "feel" since I'm so close to the material?

An x-ray shows bone; a good critique group or critique partner can do the same thing for your writing. Sometimes, others have to show you, in black and white, the issues they see. You're used to your impediment, have likely learned to work around it. Their impediments are different from yours. In short, those people with left pinky toe joints really know what wiggling feels like and they can explain it to you if you happen to be pinky-toe impaired. 

A good manuscript rarely comes out of a vacuum. You need some input from others who know the market, the genre, and the craft. You might never see your flaw until it's too late and several editors and agents have rejected the manuscript. On the other hand, if you allow a trusted critique group or critique partner to "x-ray" the manuscript, you might catch imperfections you never noticed.

Too many x-rays can be a bad thing--you don't want toxic radiation or to sprout a third arm. But if you've got a legitimate issue--like a break or a bad joint--an x-ray is your best friend. The same goes for your manuscript. Don't pass it out to a hundred people and then try to incorporate all that feedback into your manuscript. Instead choose a trusted partner or group and then listen carefully to what they have to say.

The bottom line:  Make sure you "x-ray" your manuscript before you start actively trying to sell it. You might be suprised at what you see.

On a side note, I will be having the surgery on my left pinky toe next month. It's not a big deal but I will be off my feet for a few weeks. I'll still be writing and blogging. After all, what else can I do? (Except shamlessly read steamy historical romances from pain pill to pain pill.) Those of you who know me, know that you should send all "get well soon" wishes in care of my husband. He'll have to put up with ME being immobile for a while. Can you imagine?

Critique Groups: Finding the Perfect Fit

I had a delighful conversation with an attendee over the weekend about critique groups (Hi, LM!) and I wanted to share some of the highlights with all of you.

Critique groups come in all shapes and sizes. Some are genre specific, some are judged, some are open to all writers and all genres. Some are honest and some are not. When you're looking for a critique group, here are some things to consider:

1. How serious is the group when it comes to the writing? Are they more into cookouts and cocktails or do they really want to get the heart of the work? And how serious are you? Is writing more than a hobby, or just a part-time things for you?

2. What's the demographic of the group? Are all of the writers rookies or are some of them published? Where do you honestly fit into the group? Are you the star of the show, or are you always the one who gets picked on?

3. How honest and forthright are the members? Will they tell you the truth, as they see it, about your work? And do they know what they're talking about? Will they tell you you're the next Faulkner so they don't have to hurt your feelings? Can you give honest and constructive criticism?

Critique groups are like any other outlet: they grow, change and evolve over time. You have to expect this. People will drop-out, stop writing, get published, move. It just happens. Be aware of these changes and make sure your attendance is productive. If it isn't, find a new group.

I was a critique group regular for years. But after a long, hard look at my expectations from the group, I realized my needs were no longer being met. I still communicate with several members, but the meetings had become less than productive for me. It broke my heart to leave, but I felt I was reading and rereading the same material. And only two other writers in the group seemed to be serious about publishing.

A few months after leaving the group, I met a lady at a conference. After a long discussion, we realized were in the same place in our writing lives and we wrote the same genre. We decided to try an experiment: long-distance critiques. We made some hard and fast ground rules. No personal relationship except to ask politely about the husband and kids. No self-editing. No beating around the bush. Regular schedule. Emails preferable to phone calls. Call only if you can't explain it in an email. 100% Business. We are CRITIQUE PARTNERS not Best Friends Forever or Frenemies.

It's been a dream come true for me. (I hope she feels the same!) She's the one person who I can really trust to tell me the uncensored truth. She knows what she's talking about when it comes to our genre. And we're climbing the publishing ladder at the same time. I know this won't work for everyone, but it works well for us.

So, if you can't find a critique group that meets your needs, consider an out-of-the box solution. Don't waste time and gas attending a critique group that gets you no closer to your goal. Find one that fits.

Thanks for the idea, LM. I was fresh out of blogging topics.