The really hard part is knowing when your negative reaction to a critique is ego or instinct. I definitely made some major improvements with this novel based on feedback from an editor (hi Jenn!!! LOVE YOU!), but it was actually the opening scene she suggested I ditch that got the attention of several agents (after I cleaned it up a lot). So instinct prevailed, AND amazing editing! It was when I ignored warning signs in my gut, blaming my ego because I didn’t want to think that my brief agent affair was already over, that things went waaaay off track and I mutilated my novel. :(

Live and learn, I guess ;)

I just finished editing Pete’s debut novel, and I had to tell him to re-think something that he was kind of beating over the readers head, and I also had to tell him to do a thorough line-by-line editing of the second half of the novel as it seemed less polished than the first half – two major edits that will push back the release of the book. He could release it as is and garner fans for it because it is such a compelling story, but I would rather him take one more pass at it and push it to the next level. It hurt having to tell him those things, and of course he immediately came back with the “so you’re saying my writing sucks” to harass me about it, but I think sometimes we need that voice outside of our author self to say “this section doesn’t flow as well as this section” or “you are assuming your readers are all stupid here”.

But I think you are right on track with the realizations you’ve been making lately! You fell under the siren song of potential immediate success and were wooed away from your strengths for a while, and now you are coming back to your true center which is wonderful.

Point taken, though. As a permanent fringe-dweller myself, I can’t imagine constricting my novels to a single specific genre (which at least has something of a definition), let alone a specific audience, which is imaginary. It’s too reminiscent of middle school concepts like identifying as a “goth” or a “skater” or a “preppy.” Maybe it’s smart marketing-wise, but… you know. See above.

This is the only bit that I have a slight contention with. The fact is that you have no audience until the novel is written and published. Before that, you aren’t writing for anyone other than yourself. Even established writers who have readers of their books don’t have an audience for a book in the process of being written. Remember – readers choose YOU, not the other way around. That’s why it’s vital to write what’s important to YOU, so that like-minded people will enjoy your story as much as you do.

Everything else in your post I agree with 100%. :-)

I’m just writing fan fiction at this point, so I’m no where near the level of crafting that you are, but sharing IS caring and it’s fun to learn how other writers write.

@chrisfitzner

I think getting even 500 words a day done is an admirable and attainable goal, especially considering we writers tend to just not write at all unless we think we can get a thousand or more in a sitting. But 1000 words every week even is… not good enough for me at this point.

Good luck plowing through your writer’s block!

Second, I am so glad you had a great trip and are recommitted to writing, no matter what it takes. I know I need to do the same thing and I’ve been ignoring it lately. I’m hoping to finally get back into it now. I even wrote a few hundred words the other day… not much, I know, but I’ve had major writer’s block for a long time, so even a few hundred words seemed like a lot to me.