I love connecting with people who share similiar interests, especially if those interests happen to be of the artistic bent. While the internet may make it seem as if everyone wants to be a writer, real life tends to prove otherwise. I know very few writers/artists in the flesh.
Well, we just hired a new girl in my office. She's fresh out of college and this is her first job. If we don't scare her off, I can see us becoming pretty chummy. She's an artist. She does sculpture and is interested in doing showings. We chatted about this a couple times this week. Today I decided to ask the big question--well, big for me--I asked if her she wrote. She blushed a bit and admitted she had aspirations of writing a novel.
Very cool!
All of a sudden she couldn't shut me up. I told her all about my writing, including my total bafflement on revising. Not editing. Editing I can do--grammar, dialogue and the like don't bother me. Revising is a completely different beast. It comes with sharp teeth that tear chunks out of the manuscript, kills off characters, reorganizes scenes, and demands major changes to plots and characterizations.
She was such a dear. She said, with a rather red face, the darling thing, that she likes to edit other people's work. Oh, she never should have offered! I'm so going to take her up on it. Although, not right away. I don't want to scare her off.
Of course, I'll do the same for her when she gets up the courage to begin that novel. I love helping people develop their writing skills, especially at the creative level. Just don't ask me how to go about doing a major revision. I have no idea.
But I will. I'm going to force myself to revise Dragonborn. I think the first step will be coming up with a better title. LOL
Well, we just hired a new girl in my office. She's fresh out of college and this is her first job. If we don't scare her off, I can see us becoming pretty chummy. She's an artist. She does sculpture and is interested in doing showings. We chatted about this a couple times this week. Today I decided to ask the big question--well, big for me--I asked if her she wrote. She blushed a bit and admitted she had aspirations of writing a novel.
Very cool!
All of a sudden she couldn't shut me up. I told her all about my writing, including my total bafflement on revising. Not editing. Editing I can do--grammar, dialogue and the like don't bother me. Revising is a completely different beast. It comes with sharp teeth that tear chunks out of the manuscript, kills off characters, reorganizes scenes, and demands major changes to plots and characterizations.
She was such a dear. She said, with a rather red face, the darling thing, that she likes to edit other people's work. Oh, she never should have offered! I'm so going to take her up on it. Although, not right away. I don't want to scare her off.
Of course, I'll do the same for her when she gets up the courage to begin that novel. I love helping people develop their writing skills, especially at the creative level. Just don't ask me how to go about doing a major revision. I have no idea.
But I will. I'm going to force myself to revise Dragonborn. I think the first step will be coming up with a better title. LOL
Thanks, Tina!
ReplyDeleteFinding a good beta reader (aka editor) is so very important, which was why I think I could have kissed her for volunteering. :)
Get your book written and then start sending out feelers to find someone you trust to critique your work and offer ideas on how to improve it.