Free Editing & Critique Values

Oct. 20, 2009

I have a fan who has loaned my book to several friends. One of her friends offered to read my sequels to 'After the War, Before the Peace' to check for character treatment and believable plot twists. She contacted me yesterday via my webpage. We are meeting on Friday. I told her I can't pay her anything for editorial suggestions right now, but she is still more than willing. Am I lucky or what!

I visited with Alex my computer repair tech yesterday. He now has a photography business. My four Goddesses crit group is thinking of doing some publicity by using pictures of the persona of characters in our books. Cindie will be a spy, JOan a biker, Lois a cop/Indian and me a cowgirl. I got prices and next time we get together we'll make a decision.

Moved 'Stephen's Boys' along again today. Still doing a lot of research as to terms and technology that would be used in 1945. Also how salt water affects a severe open wound.

I've been getting feedback on the messages I left with my writing groups about leaving them. Of course I'm flattered at their nice comments, but what surprises me is their remarks about the value of my crits. I don't consider myself good at critiquing. I just know what I like and what sounds good. Also, I need a hook, conflict and a believable resolution. If that's valuable, I'm glad. I'll sure miss those writers, too. Their crits certainly helped me to to fine tune my writing.

Had dinner with Cindie tonight. She has some good news as to how well her books are being accepted. One school librarian is putting several of her books in her library. That is certainly good news.

Today, I leave you with some words on criticism. "Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamppost how it feels about dogs." Christopher Hampton