IWSG: Your Craft
Thank goodness for First Wednesdays... and thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh, it's the day we insecure writers come together to share our pitfalls and inspirations. To learn more and read other's posts, click the photo link!
For anyone following my slow progress, I am still editing my first work of science fiction. Over the past few IWSG posts, I've received some great feedback to calm my insecurities as well as a couple of comments that have spun a few of them into overdrive. I suppose that's what happens when you ask for honest critiques, and it's not always a bad thing. For better or worse, they make you think... and thinking about your work is good. The problem occurs when too much thinking leads to questioning your written voice. For this round, I'm going to do my best to share some inspiration that I've been tossing around in my head over the last month.
Just as an example, I learned a lot from the commentary being posted to competing stories in last year's Write Club challenge, but there were some voters offering up personal preferences instead of sharing unbiased critiquing. One such scenario was advice as to the tense used in a piece. Some people prefer to write in first person narrative, others in third, and others in a plethora of variations. One thing I've given some thought to is the definition of one's writing craft. Your craft is personal and any manner in which you purposely use words to display your ideas should be considered your signature. If you use first person narrative on purpose to make your point hit home, then it doesn't matter that I prefer a different style. Moreover, if you use all caps to make a statement and you purposely use it consistently throughout your writing, then who are we to tell you that it isn't grammatically correct? Do you love semicolons and oxford commas? You do? Well, then by all means, use them if it lends to your craft! And hey look, I just used an exclamation point! I bet you've read some writing books that tell you not to... but I say, listen to you heart... and always stay true to your craft. Your writing is meant to define you. You are what you write. Never let one critique create doubt in the style that represents your voice. Your editor will help you sell your book... just be careful not to sell your soul. There's a big difference between correcting grammar to reflect skillful writing and completely changing the fundamental style that makes you, well... "you". I suppose that's my long-winded way of saying that we should never make a change unless it feels right and true to our own personal craft. Happy writing!
Posts
Happy first Wednesday of the month! I love exclamation points!
For every expert who tells you what not to do, there are five more telling you to do it. I tend to believe that it's about personal truth. What feels true and authentic for you? If it's exclamation points or my favorite thing... ellipses... do it! Because those "rules" are more like guidelines anyway.
Just be prepared that everyone will have something to say about it and it's your job to dispassionately examine their reviews and determine if it's a valuable bauble or worthless knock off.
Sometimes too much input is not a good thing. Everyone has an opinion, asked for or not, good or horrendous, and many of them are more of a detriment to our inspiration than not. Keep plugging away with your editing, write what you feel, take critiques with a grain of salt, and God bless you!
Developing your own voice and style is paramount to creating what is essentially 'you'. Like all criticism/advice you can take what is helpful and toss the rest.
Listen to your heart and your own voice! :)
I saw that a lot in a novel writing class I took. We submitted 10 pages at a time and got back about 30 critiques. I had to weed through a lot of preferences to get to the true critiques. I don't want to make changes just to make changes, I want to make changes to make my stories better. You made a great point. I don't want to lose my voice for other people's preferences.
Hi Tanya, I've nominated you for the Liebster Award on my post today. :) Please check it out and find a time to best represent!
LOVE THIS!
Just hopping over from IWSG!
Couldn't agree with you more. One of the tricks to using critique is knowing when a comment is personal taste only and when it is actually something that isn't coming across right.
Hi -- so glad to visit your blog. I'm helping Alex with IWSG hosting duties this month. I agree with a lot of the comments here. While certainly listening and considering expert advice is good (why recreate the wheel), it needs to be balanced with our own gut instincts about our writing. Good post.