Now you’ve seen Freddy the pheasant, here’s a nice view of Robin, the er robin.
Since my last log, the family have visited for the weekend – the Young Master, as we used to call him when he was four, and his tribe of females. We had a fire in their honour on Saturday, though the wood was all damp and it took ages to get going. It was no comparison to the fires which I used to make with loving care, when we had no electricity in the first days of living here – see my book, The Fruit of the Tree, available from my website, http://freespace.virgin.net/jackie.luben. We went to a Chinese restaurant on Sunday for a buffet lunch, which always goes down well with the girls as they can trot backwards and forwards getting a bit more of this or that.
I received an email from Dave at Virtual Tales (http://www.virtualtales.com/) with the format of A Bottle of Plonk as an e-book. So it will be marketed by VT in two ways – one in the serial format, to be downloaded a couple of times a week with the whole e-book as an alternative. My eye was so sore on from Monday until today that I haven’t been able to check much of it. Strangely enough, when it looked really bad over the weekend, it didn’t hurt at all.
I also received a critique of the first three chapters of my novel from Writers’ News (http://www.writersnews.co.uk/) I was disappointed in it in some ways. Firstly a request for more description. Two of the people who reviewed it on You Write On more or less told me to cut to the chase. If you’re going to mention the flowers in the garden said one of them, they have to be relevant later on. Also description of the main protagonist – and here I have another problem. If it’s her viewpoint, am I supposed to describe her? I don’t compare myself with Jane Austen, but she as far as I remember didn’t describe her heroines. I can never work out what to say about people. For example, what does a ‘wide mouth’ actually look like – Cherie Booth?
Since my last log, the family have visited for the weekend – the Young Master, as we used to call him when he was four, and his tribe of females. We had a fire in their honour on Saturday, though the wood was all damp and it took ages to get going. It was no comparison to the fires which I used to make with loving care, when we had no electricity in the first days of living here – see my book, The Fruit of the Tree, available from my website, http://freespace.virgin.net/jackie.luben. We went to a Chinese restaurant on Sunday for a buffet lunch, which always goes down well with the girls as they can trot backwards and forwards getting a bit more of this or that.
I received an email from Dave at Virtual Tales (http://www.virtualtales.com/) with the format of A Bottle of Plonk as an e-book. So it will be marketed by VT in two ways – one in the serial format, to be downloaded a couple of times a week with the whole e-book as an alternative. My eye was so sore on from Monday until today that I haven’t been able to check much of it. Strangely enough, when it looked really bad over the weekend, it didn’t hurt at all.
I also received a critique of the first three chapters of my novel from Writers’ News (http://www.writersnews.co.uk/) I was disappointed in it in some ways. Firstly a request for more description. Two of the people who reviewed it on You Write On more or less told me to cut to the chase. If you’re going to mention the flowers in the garden said one of them, they have to be relevant later on. Also description of the main protagonist – and here I have another problem. If it’s her viewpoint, am I supposed to describe her? I don’t compare myself with Jane Austen, but she as far as I remember didn’t describe her heroines. I can never work out what to say about people. For example, what does a ‘wide mouth’ actually look like – Cherie Booth?
5 comments:
Love the well-padded Robin.
Critiques always leave me confused, particularly when you are only submitting a small section of your work.
I am very wary of critics.I believe that often, particularly if they are not professionals,they have jumped on the bandwagon of what they have been told is and is not acceptable.They criticise according to a formula. personally I would take more notice of your professional critique than of Writewords or even the Writers Circle. Though even then, tread warily.
The comment someone made about your flowers is ridiculous.how do they know the significance from such a short extract? In any case the atmosphere and surroundings are an important part of your novel(I know, I've read it).If I were to pick formulaic holes in every new novel I've read lately none of them would have got published.In the end, I think we have to have faith in our own work, and hope that eventually we hit on one of those publishers who has the common sense and intelligence to look beyond petty nitpicking. Failing that,self-publish.
Irene
I may not have quoted verbatim from the You Write On person, because I've lost a batch of 4 months' worth of emails, but that was the jist. However, the thing is, I agreed with the You Write On comments, because I often find description boring - my own in particular. Not so much the outdoors, gardens, etc., but the scene setting that is urged upon me and which I find very difficult, because I never notice these things myself.
I wonder if your critics who wanted the writing pared down were thinking more of short story techniques than novel writing? My writing tends to be quite economic and I find I have to go through drafts adding in description!
Regarding describing the main character I think that early on it is good to bring in some sort of brief physical description and the name, even if it is a first person narrator, just so the reader can get a mental picture....this can be done gradually via dialogue or commenting on own reflection in the mirror ( bit of a cliche I know) etc.
At the end of the day everyone will have different opinions, because we all like different things. after all there is no right or wrong in creativity.
But then again, I've never written a novel, so what do I know?!!
I struggle with description too, whatever I'm doing! I really have to make the effort to do it with the right balance. It doesn't get easier, at least not for me!!
==:O
A
xxx
Thank you for comments, Cathy and Anne. I know I'm going to have to make the effort. How can a supposed writer not notice the appearance of people and things around her. I tend to focus on what people say and how they behave. Yes, I'll probably end up using the mirror technique, Cathy, or alternatively, become the omniscient narrator for a short time.
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