What do I mean by "it's not as easy as it seems" ??? I mean, okay, let's say you've been writing (a really cool short story) day and night, editing as best you can and now you finally come up for air hoping a waiting world will crowd around to see what you've come up with. But wait, you think, I need feedback to see where this thing is.....After all there may be things here I just can't see (and, there will be.....). Crit groups are good, paying for high end editing is better in my opinion, though there is much to be said for the invaluable and multiple opinions a crit group will offer. Both work for me. I knew this beforehand however - the time it takes. And, well, it's kind of like networking: you can spend as much time as you have to spare, doing it. Genre specific reviewers who can put you on their roster, blogger writers with skill and patience for up and comers is something to explore and great avenues too, if you can find them. What you'll find is what I'm finding and that is this: It's work to get your stuff looked at, it's work getting the piece tightened up, it's work putting it into various formats to send out, it's work doing your homework to find people to help you. Sitting down to write, even to write well - isn't as easy as it seems when it comes to what you need to do before, during and after, writing a story.
I'm finding that the most difficult aspect is not networking, it's not finding other writers or reviewers or editors or figuring out what to do, it's figuring out when and how to do what you need to do. The world, you suddenly realize, is NOT your oyster....
Planning is simple in theory but it will need to be an ever evolving, flexible plan based on your writing schedule and resources as well as the present tense availability of others whom you will surely need. Every time you look at the big picture, it might have changed, and will keep changing.
Kind of like trying to pin the tail on a donkey on speed.
You know where to find me....
LUVU
5 comments:
I find one of the hardest things to get done is all the stuff I have to do AFTER the piece is written. Researching what I can send where, and who might be interested in my genre, or style within the genre. It's so time consuming, and most times, the results are pretty discouraging. Writing is not for the feint of heart.
No, it's not as easy as some would think. Each step in the process is hard work.
Hi Caren and Miranda, Thanks for taking the time to read this thing and comment. The only barometer we really have is others in the industry, next to the reader of course. But it's those critical steps during and after we "finish" something that make or break a piece. I have no problem reworking and rewriting, but the help we need in the process is tough to get. And, do you send out the "rough" version or do you try to dress it up for the dance, or what?
I never send a "rough" version, but if I get a rejection, I will look it over (again) seek expert advice if possible and re-work to try and send my best effort.
I have to agree with Caren. Although the writing can be grueling at times, it is nothing compared to the after-work. Researching and marketing (yourself and your work), these things are killers for me.
Great blog, I'm a new follower and I'm sure I'll be back!
Just 1 Writer
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