Thursday, October 27, 2011

River Deep, Mountain High

lolcat lost in reading

Have you ever looked back at your first novels or even your first drafts and thought, UGHHHHHHHH WHAT IS THIS CRAP AND WHO WROTE IT?

Then sometimes you read over something and think, THIS IS PURE GOLD!  HOW DID I EVEN WRITE THIS?

Okay, so maybe most of us feel like numbe two most of the time.  This especially true for an old MS that I am polishing up to be published this Spring.

(Here's a plug for you) Newly agented Steph Sinkhorn read one of my earlier drafts and actually helped to make it a teensy bit better.

But anywhoo, I look over it now and cringe, realizing how much practice really does make perfect. It's true, the more you write the better you get at your craft. Heck, if my first short story ever saw the light of day I'm sure that I would cringe looking at it now.

Do you think that your writing has grown mountains?  How do critique partners help you out?  Why isn't my link working to request a review copy of How to Date an Alien?

5 comments:

  1. Man, oh man, do you have a point. I look back, even at the first draft of TSA and cringe. And it was LOADS better than my 1st book, even after the MAJOR REWRITE. *sigh* It just takes time. And lots, and lots of reading. :)

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  2. I've noticed a remarkable difference in my writing. I've learned a lot from critique partners since I first started writing. I look back on my first MS and cringe. It's a great story, but I would literally have to rewrite the entire thing.

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  3. Hee! I remember that! I'm glad you're going back to it. I could tell you cared about that manuscript a lot :)

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  4. I know my writing is continuely growing every time I work on a manuscript. I learn new tricks and new words to use. I even become better at discribing things in fewer words.

    I'll always be improving my skill, but I don't really cringe when I look at my old work. It's still my work. Yes, it could be better and I try to apply what I learn to its pages, but I won't punish myself for not being perfect. Nothing is.

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  5. I just started with a critique group and couldn't believe how many things I was doing wrong when I correct papers for a living. I love the insight I get from my group.

    Great post - look forward to following you :)

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