#Wipmadness Week Two

So how has everyone's writing been going? I was able to go to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf after I dropped son off at his student center twice last week. I was able to...

WRITE!

Give me some nommy ice tea lattes and a nice place to hang? I'm happy!




Now for today's theme I thought I'd tie in something that I kind of went through a couple weeks ago. During my NO MORE GODDESSES blog tour I got some amazing feedback!



Then I got a few that were well, not so great. They weren't bad but they also said some things that made me second guess myself as an author. Things like...wooden dialogue...unrealistic...not enough romance...stereotypical characters.

Ouch.

Once again I'm taking from A YEAR OF WRITING DANGEROUSLY by Barbara Abercrowmbie to help with this week's theme.

286. The Four Stages of Receiving Feedback

Stage One-Panic
Stage Two-"What do they know? And/or: They're right-it's all crap!
**If feedback is from someone you respect(not related to you), and if that person has pondered how you can make it deepear and better, stage three will be the dawning of gratitude.
Stage Four-Is Inspiration. An honest critique can inspire you to forge on.

**I totally relate with stage four and love Meg Cabot's response to getting rejections. In the Aug/Sept issue of Justine Magazine, Meg says,..."when I moved to New York City with big dreams of becoming a writer, but met with nothing except rejection for many years, I never gave up. Those rejections made me angry, and that anger made me more determined than ever not to quit..."


So what do you do when you only get so-so reviews? Or if you get rejections?


Now for our prize winner from last week:

Lora Rivera! Email me at ixtumea@gmail.com with your snail addy and which paranormal book you'd like! I should be able to send it out to you this week! One bonus of having a post office right next door to son's new student center!

This week's prizes include some more paranormals:



Dante's now an 'angel' but still has the bad boy demon side going on!



Amazon 'accidently' sent me 2 copies of this book so I can give one away! This is the third book in the amazing Lux series. Think Roswell the TV show with hottie characters. Totally love Daemon!


Here's to a productive week!

Comments

Woot WIP madness!

I'm very busy this week, trying to get one MS out to alpha readers, and trying to get another project done and submittable by the end of the month! I can do it if I just focus, but I've definitely loaded my plate for September.
Sounds like you had a productive week at the coffee shop - glad you are forging on :)

I only have experience with receiving beta/CP notes and I've been lucky enough that any negative comments were all constructive. They made me want to dive back into my WIP and dig deeper into the story.
Unknown said…
Oh, I'm excited! I never win :)

Good inspiration on receiving feedback. It's always hard, but we just get better at it.

I wrote only a little this week, but I think I'm off to a new section in my WIP. The cutting and splicing first third of the revision is done. Now to redraft the bulk of the middle. Redrafting is hard work, but I'm up for it! Good luck, all!
Unknown said…
Kim, so-so comments and reviews can be tough to swallow. But I like to keep one thing in perspective about them. At least you've got something out there to review. There are so many who don't. So many who haven't had the opportunity or the guts to get their work out. So kudos to you. Also, another way of looking at them is using them as a learning tool, how to better the work. Good for you getting some writing done too!!

Well, my day started off feeling kind of funky, but it's getting better. Got invited to do a local radio show interview for LITTLE ACORN'S BIG FALL and the author event I'm doing Thurs. & Fri. YAY! So cool. :)

Finished another draft on my newest picture book.

Got some not so great news about my other one from my agent. Bottom line, it's either another rewrite or trash the whole thing. Not sure what I want to do from this point. So I've decided to put it away for a bit. I'll revisit in a week or so.

Hope everyone's week is fabulous!
Write on, Wipsters. :)
Kim Baccellia said…
Charlie,

Yay, you! You're one busy writer! Busy=great!

Thanks for stopping by!
Kim Baccellia said…
Jennifer-

So happy about the Coffee Bean store. The tea is to die for! Starbucks just isn't the same.

Yes, I'm the same with negative comments. It motivates me to get right back into my story and dig deeper.

Thanks for stopping by!
Kim Baccellia said…
Lora,

Congrats! I'll drop it off tomorrow!

You can do the redrafting! Yes, you can!

Shaking my pom-poms your way!
Kim Baccellia said…
Candilynn,

So true. I love the reviews that are constructive(which all my so-so reviews were). It helped me to see what I need to work more on. And I do listen to comments.

Plus Smart Bitches at the last RWA meeting told us that it's not the bad reviews that writers should be worried about but rather when no one talks about your book.

Good luck on your radio interview!

Also on agent feedback--cyber hugs. I think you have the best plan--put the project aside for a few and go and work on another project.

I'm shaking my pom-poms your way too along with some writing faery dust!

Thanks so much for all your supportive comments here and on Twitter! You rock big time!
Yay Lora!

And this is one of the things I dread, Kim. I totally relate to Meg Cabot's response. I sometimes feel left behind or frustrated when I see all the good news posts and then look at my stack of rejections. I'm not angry with the authors who have found success...I'm pissed off at the cosmos for not getting it!

I do consider the source and then, after my bruised ego recovers, I consider whether my critic has a real point. I'm a teacher, so I tend to take everything as a teachable moment, though that doesn't mean I accept everyone's opinion as valid or relevant to what I'm trying to do.

If a reader says she needs more, I really think about that and consider if and/or how I could address that. Is that criticism true to the character/story? Is it coming out of left field?

Every reader brings his own experience to the text, so sometimes their expectations don't necessarily connect with your purpose.

Okay...the English teacher in me is rearing her ugly head...

Now back to some #wipmadness!
Shari Green said…
I love that "dawning of gratitude" stage (I have a wonderful crit partner!). And then when the inspiration strikes, oh man...angels singing, lol. But there's always a bit of a sting if criticism is harsh or unfair.

I seem stuck in poetry mode, so that's what I've been writing this past week. Now I'm looking forward (with some trepidation) to reading through the first draft of my MG and getting started on revisions.

Happy writing, everyone!
This comment has been removed by the author.
I love the timely #wipmadness posts.

This month I've enrolled in a critique workshop and a revision workshop called "Revision Hell," thank you very much, over at Savvy Authors.

I'll take these feedback tips to heart to keep motivated.

I'm also a chat mod now at Savvy and a forum mod over at the Women's Fiction Writers Association. New site and forums launched today and it's been busy.

Since I have projects under different genres (MG adventures through to Spec Fic thrillers), I decided to check WFWA out. They're not focusing on WF in its strictest sense because they found that definition too confining. The WFWA has expanded its view on WF and considers itself "an inclusive organization of writers who create stories about a woman’s emotional journey." It's not always romance and crosses into multiple genres. That seems to work well with me and it's another avenue to network with other great writers. :)

Lots to do in the week ahead. I hope everyone has a great one!


Cheers,

Tonette
Kim Baccellia said…
Mary Ann,

I'm an educator too and I'm like you with comments/feedback. I read them and see what I can use from it. Also I do consider the source. One huge thing is I remind myself this is all subjective and what I might love? Someone else might feel differently and vis a versa.

Thanks for stopping by today!
Kim Baccellia said…
Shari,

I'm with you on my own revision.

I love getting any kind of feedback on my projects and novels but yeah getting a so-so comment does sting. Or like son told me, "Ouch."

Good luck with your writing this week!
Kim Baccellia said…
Transient,

I need to check that site out. Can you post the link for me? Any feedback/comments on doing revisions is a must for me right now!

Thanks!

Hiya.

Here are the links:

http://ce.savvyauthors.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Calendar.eventDetail&eventId=1894
- it started today. Hopefully you can still join!

https://womensfictionwriters.org/
- there's an upcoming critique workshop in October

Cheers,

Tonette
Denise Jaden said…
I've been insanely busy this week, between copyedits, new homeschool year, and planning 2 surprise parties for my mom's birthday. Living on adrenaline...
Kim Baccellia said…
Totally can relate with you, Denise. Son's starting back full time with homeschooling and it's been a real challenge. Sigh. Thank goodness for the other teachers at our charter school that support me. That and the Coffee House where I can escape and get some writing in!

Thanks for dropping by!

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