I love this post. I’ve finally been through enough critique cycles that I can really appreciate the wisdom of this. Get beta readers. Be a good beta yourself. But don’t take all the advice, and don’t be disappointed if they…
Blog Archives
The Familiar Ground of Self-Doubt
You don’t have to be a writer to relate to doubt. It’s one of the reasons I like this photo. Imagine what the guy/gal went through who pushed this project through. You want to build a what? Why would you…
Kill Your Darlings
“Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.” Stephen King, On Writing. This particular quote seems to have passed into common usage. It’s a phrase often heard when a writer…
Tagged with: beta readers, Cathleen Townsend, critique, developing plot and characters, feedback, kill your darlings
Posted in Writing
Posted in Writing
Criticism: Friend or Foe?
Criticism can be either helpful or destructive, depending on the state of mind of the critiquer and the writer receiving it. Writing takes enormous amounts of both self-confidence and humility. You have to think your words are worthwhile, or you’ll…
Beta Readers
A beta reader is someone who gives you feedback on your writing. Hopefully, more than you see in my illustration, but you take what you can get. Typically, a beta reader will receive your work when it’s been edited and…
