Today is the start of Christine Amsden's BOOK BLAST for SECRETS and LIES, the second in the Cassie Scot series. We are posting two of her articles back-to-back. Please check out the new book in her series below! When you buy your copies of her books, you will not only get a very entertaining book(s), but you'll help move the book up the charts. ;o) Thanks!
- Aaron Lazar
The Jewels of Critique by Christine Amsden
copyright 2013
If you are serious about becoming a
writer then at some point you will need to show others your work and ask them
what they think. When your pet project comes back, scarred beyond recognition
in red ink, you have three choices: You can quit writing. You can decide to be
a poor, misunderstood artist and never learn or grow. Finally, you can use the
feedback to become an even better writer.
The truth is, everyone has room for improvement, but even after you realize this you may not know what to do with those red marks. Do you always make changes where suggested? What if two people contradict one another? What if someone clearly did not “get it?” Do you compromise integrity to make others happy? This workshop addresses all these questions and more as we seek to make sense of constructive (and even destructive) criticism.
I.
Good Critique
Before I get into how to interpret other’s critique, I wanted to briefly discuss good criticism. While you will not always receive great criticism, you should always give it. Also, understanding what makes criticism good will help you to interpret it.
A.
Critique the story, not the author: This should be self
explanatory but basically, never make any assumptions about what the author
thinks, feels, or is trying to do. You are reporting your feelings about a
piece of literature, not performing psychoanalysis.
B.
Make it an opinion: “I thought Frank was a jerk.” is an
absolutely true statement. “Frank is a jerk.” is up for debate. Authors tend to
receive criticism better when it is written as an opinion rather than as fact,
because it is less confrontational and controversial. If you are the author
receiving the feedback, you should always interpret comments as an opinion even
if the person giving the feedback was less than sensitive.
C.
Look for problems, not solutions: It is usually more useful for an
author to gauge your reaction to a piece rather than to hear how you would
rewrite it. When you start prescribing solutions rather than diagnosing
problems, you may not be in tune with the author’s vision and therefore may not
be giving useful information. If you do decide to give suggestions for
rewriting, you should always pinpoint the problem (as you see it) first. That
way, the author can take the information and use it in a way that best serves
the story.
D.
Be a wise reader: A strategy I picked up from Orson Scott Card
(see his books on writing) that works very well for me is the wise reader
critique. Anyone who reads can be trained to be a wise reader, and the
information they give is golden. When you read a book, you naturally ask
certain questions about it. A wise reader notices when they ask the questions
and they write it down for the benefit of the author.
i. Oh Yeah? (I don’t believe
this.)
ii. So What? (I don’t care.)
iii. Huh? (I don’t get it.)
II.
Getting to the heart of the problem
Whether you receive good criticism or not, you need to attempt to understand what the reader felt was the problem with the story. If your car engine stalled you would not start randomly replacing parts before you understood what was wrong. The same thing is true with writing.
A.
Diagnosis: If your reader gave you diagnostic information such as
a wise reader critique, then your task is much easier. You know the problem and
can move on to what (if anything) to do about it.
B.
Prescription: If someone gave you suggestions for change without
telling you the problem, you are going to have to work backwards. Ask yourself
why they would think the change was necessary. Try to look at it through a
reader’s eyes and realize that they may not have been reading the story you
thought you wrote. (See ‘C’ below)
C.
They didn’t seem to “get it”: They very well may not have. I am
often amazed to find out what story people actually read when I send something
out for feedback. They aren’t wrong. Keep in mind that the story in your head
is a separate entity from the story on the paper. Likewise, the story on the
paper takes on a life of its own when read by someone else. They bring into it
their own biases and personal experiences. They may think Frank is a jerk
because they dated this guy in college named Frank who really hurt them. You
cannot always control for that but you need to be prepared for it.
III.
Should I make a change?
A.
There are exactly two times when you should consider making a
change.
i. Resonance: If a comment
resonates with you, if it just makes sense based on what you are trying to
accomplish with your work (be it a short story, novel, or article) then you
should, of course, make a change.
ii. Agreement: If many people
agree on a problem or weak spot, you should also seriously consider making a
change. You may not agree on the solution that any or all of them offered, but
it is typically no coincidence when several people all spot the same issue. It
can be hard to decide to make a change in this case, if there is no resonance
to go along with it, but here are some things you can do.
1.
Put it aside for a period of time and re-read it with a fresh eye.
2.
Look for creative solutions to a problem. For example, if many
people tell you a section is too long you may decide, instead, to make it
longer. I often find that the boredom that causes people to suggest cutting can
also be remedied by going into more depth, drawing the reader in further, and
really highlighting the importance of a certain portion of a story or novel.
B.
Contradictions: It can be frustrating when people disagree on an
aspect of a story. When one person loves Frank and another thinks he is a jerk,
you may find yourself unsure what to do. Let me start by making some
observations that may help you put this into perspective.
i. No one’s work will be
universally loved.
ii. The very things that make one
person fall in love with your work will make someone else hate it. This is true
in all aspects of life. I don’t like raspberries, but I bet most of you do. If
you were hosting a large dinner party, would you choose a different dessert to
accommodate my dislike of raspberries? Perhaps a yummy apple crumble or a
turtle cheesecake? Now I like your dessert option but Brian hates
cheesecake and Beth isn’t into apples.
In the end, whether the feedback is contradictory or not, you need
to consider the same two questions: “Did it resonate? Do many people agree?” If
one naysayer contradicts a group, it is probably safe to listen to the majority
opinion. If a group seems split down the middle you will simply have to be the
tiebreaker.
C.
Compromising Integrity: I bring this up only because many
beginning writers ask this question. Should I compromise my integrity to please
others? Well, that depends upon what you mean by integrity. Obviously, it is
your story to tell and in the end you are the person who will tell it. If
making a change to please people will make you hate the story or in some way go
against your values, then of course you should not make the change. But don’t
be the poor, misunderstood artist, either. If you want to be a great writer
then you need to understand that the creative process is fluid and that
sometimes you need to let the story decide what it wants to be, rather than
forcing it to be what you want it to be.
IV.
Responding to Feedback
A.
Thank you: This is the only appropriate response to someone who
has offered to help you by reading your work. Even if you disagree with
everything they wrote, even if they were downright mean in their comments, you
thank them and do not argue. Your story has to stand alone when it goes out
into the world – you won’t be there to hold its hand and back it up with your
own answers to people’s comments. If someone asks a question in their feedback,
it is rhetorical. You answer it in the rewrite, if at all.
B.
Destructive criticism: It happens. Someone may give you back some
feedback that says, “You suck as a writer. Don’t quit your day job.” If a
person gives you criticism that is downright mean, you simply ignore it and do
not ask for their help again. Throw it away.
C.
The follow-up question: While it is not okay to try to explain
yourself, your story, or argue with someone who has given you advice, it may be
acceptable to ask an occasional follow-up question for the sake of clarity.
When I sent an early chapter of Touch of Fate out for criticism, I
learned that someone felt Marianne, the protagonist, was unsympathetic. I wrote
back to him and asked if he could tell me what had given him that impression.
He was kind enough to highlight some careless turns of phrase that made her
seem uncaring towards her daughter. I was then able to make the changes that
helped me sell the book.
V.
Re-critique
A.
From the same group: This is usually a bad idea, in my opinion.
Personally, I usually refuse to look at the same story or part of a novel more
than one time. Either you followed my advice in the first place or you did not.
If you did take my advice, I will be inclined to like it whether or not it
works and if you did not take my advice I will be disinclined to like it
whether or not your chosen solution was appropriate. Moreover, I know how it
ends – or ended, which might even be worse. I cannot give you a fresh, unbiased
opinion on a second read-through.
B.
From a different person/people: This can work, but I caution you
to remember that your story will never be perfect. As many times as you send
your work out, you will receive that many suggestions. You cannot please
everyone and that is not your goal – it may be your dream but it is not your
goal. So go ahead and get a few different opinions, but try not to lose sight
of your own intentions as you make change after change and at some point,
decide that you are done.
When is it done? At some point, you have to decide to stop. It will never be done, but you can stop writing and send it to a publisher. Don’t forget that there will always be other stories, other articles, and even other novels. Growing as a writer happens over multiple pieces, not just multiple rewrites of the same piece. Try new things. Be adventurous. Be done.
***
Christine's Amsden's Books:
Cassie Scot: ParaNormal
Detective
Cassie Scot
is the ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers, born between worlds but
belonging to neither. At 21, all she wants is to find a place for herself, but
earning a living as a private investigator in the shadow of her family’s
reputation isn’t easy. When she is pulled into a paranormal investigation, and
tempted by a powerful and handsome sorcerer, she will have to decide where she
truly belongs.
Secrets and
Lies (Cassie Scot #2)
Cassie Scot,
still stinging from her parents’ betrayal, wants out of the magical world. But
it isn’t letting her go. Her family is falling apart and despite everything, it
looks like she may be the only one who can save them.
To complicate
matters, Cassie owes Evan her life, making it difficult for her to deny him
anything he really wants. And he wants her. Sparks fly when they team up to
find two girls missing from summer camp, but long-buried secrets may ruin their
hopes for happiness.
Reviews
From
Publisher’s Weekly:
“In this
entertaining series opener, Amsden (The Immortality Virus) introduces readers
to the eponymous Cassie, a decidedly mundane member of a magical family.
…Readers will enjoy Cassie’s fish-out-of-water struggles as she fights magical
threats with little more than experience and bravado.”
Kim Falconer,
bestselling author of The Spell of Rosette, Quantum Enchantment Series, had
this to say:
“When
sorcerers call the shots, what’s a girl without powers to do? Get ready for a
ripper of a murder mystery full of romance and intrigue, where magic potions
bubble, passions spark and vampires are definitely not your friend. Cassie
Scot: ParaNormal Detective grabs you by the heart and won’t let go until the
very last page. Well written, immersive and unputdownable. This is urban
fantasy at its best. More please!”
"Christine
Amsden unleashes her brilliant storytelling magic as the adventures of Cassie
Scot
escalate to
the extreme. Rife with betrayal and a debt too deep for money to clear, Secrets
and Lies plunges the reader into an utterly believable world where villains and
heroes spring lifelike from the pages. Brace for a whirlwind ride of sorcery,
romance and knife-edge peril. A truly original urban fantasy. Not to be missed!”
Buy Links for
Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective:
Buy Links for
Secrets and Lies (Cassie Scot #2)
Social Media
Links:
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Website
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Blog
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Author Bio
Christine
Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can
remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired
by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and
imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining
themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about
people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make
science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.
At the age of
16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that effects
the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but
has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.
In addition
to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors. She also
does some freelance editing work.
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1 comment:
What an incredibly helpful post! Thank you, Christine, for sharing your experience with us.
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