Basking in the glow
There are so many great things about having critique partners that I couldn't start to enumerate them, but lately I have been dwelling on one in particular:
Having critique partners allows you to share your friends' success from an insider point-of-view.
So often in the writing world, we read crazy success stories and think, "Why her/him? Why don't I ever get lucky like that?" We're quick to write success off as chance, probably because it makes us feel better as we curl up in a hole with our chocolate, feeling a little like the only girls not invited to prom. (Okay, by "we" I mean "I." But it makes me feel better to imagine there are others...)
But with critique partners, we practically see the drops of sweat fall onto their keyboards. We know the harshness they have to put up with, because we've doled some of it out. It's obvious to us that any success was not happened upon but fought for.
Really, I think actual "luck" is a lot more rare than we think. Even if someone gets an amazing contract for the first thing they ever wrote the first time they queried it, we don't know how many nights they've stayed up reading, how much they analyzed craft, how they labored over that one manuscript to make it just right and how many drafts of that query they balled up and threw into the furnace.
Getting to the point here... I'm thrilled to share a couple successes of my own critique partners, and, far from curling up, I am basking in the glow of their glory:
Betsy Devaney has an agent! (Emily van Beek from Folio.) She has worked tremendously hard, been typing away at five in the morning for months, done the work, written, revised, repeated it all. Hearing her story sounds wonderfully like a godmother showing up to take Cinderella to the ball--but I can tell you that this Cinderella carved that pumpkin carriage out with her bare hands, wrangled a few horses and drove herself. I am so excited for her and can't wait to hear what happens next with her lovely stories.
And Kiki Hamilton has a new book coming out in less than a month: THE TORN WING, sequel to THE FAERIE RING. I haven't read the final version yet, but the draft I critiqued kept me shivering under my covers waiting to see what happened next. I so admire Kiki's determined nature and positive spirit.
Other critiquing friends are still hard at work. But I know their days are coming soon...
Having critique partners allows you to share your friends' success from an insider point-of-view.
So often in the writing world, we read crazy success stories and think, "Why her/him? Why don't I ever get lucky like that?" We're quick to write success off as chance, probably because it makes us feel better as we curl up in a hole with our chocolate, feeling a little like the only girls not invited to prom. (Okay, by "we" I mean "I." But it makes me feel better to imagine there are others...)
But with critique partners, we practically see the drops of sweat fall onto their keyboards. We know the harshness they have to put up with, because we've doled some of it out. It's obvious to us that any success was not happened upon but fought for.
Really, I think actual "luck" is a lot more rare than we think. Even if someone gets an amazing contract for the first thing they ever wrote the first time they queried it, we don't know how many nights they've stayed up reading, how much they analyzed craft, how they labored over that one manuscript to make it just right and how many drafts of that query they balled up and threw into the furnace.
Getting to the point here... I'm thrilled to share a couple successes of my own critique partners, and, far from curling up, I am basking in the glow of their glory:
Betsy Devaney has an agent! (Emily van Beek from Folio.) She has worked tremendously hard, been typing away at five in the morning for months, done the work, written, revised, repeated it all. Hearing her story sounds wonderfully like a godmother showing up to take Cinderella to the ball--but I can tell you that this Cinderella carved that pumpkin carriage out with her bare hands, wrangled a few horses and drove herself. I am so excited for her and can't wait to hear what happens next with her lovely stories.
Other critiquing friends are still hard at work. But I know their days are coming soon...
Two points:
ReplyDelete1. I noticed you posted this at 6:00 in the morning... so I know you can relate to Betsy Devaney's early-morning challenges!
2. I think luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. If you are not prepared, then the opportunity doesn't really exist, does it? And it's that preparation that is the result of countless hours of work, re-work, mental anguish, writer's block, fatigue, frustration, etc... so, in a sense, preparation CREATES opportunity.
3. (Okay... I know I said two... but...) I can relate to the prom thing... I didn't go either, because my best friend asked out the girl I was about to invite... and he did it behind my back! That gave me an idea for my first book, which I never started, called "Knife in the Back." But... four months later I met your mother!
Aw, Dad, it would probably still make a good book... :) The best part is it has such a happy ending anyway.
DeleteOf course you know I didn't go to prom and I didn't care--it just seemed like an appropriate analogy!
Love you!
I'll agree with Anon that preparation creates opportunity, but as Louis Pasteur said, "chance favors the prepared mind." I'd like to think they are two sides of the same coin. Hard work and perseverance pay off, and it is always thrilling to see a critique partner take that next big step, whether it's signing with an agent or signing that book contract, or finishing that draft that you finally get to read. Actually, I started blogging four years ago because of all the amazing things happening in my critique group ... I wanted to shout out to the world and entered the blogosphere ...
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Betsy and Kiki!
ps: I can't relate to the prom thing at all (foreignitis), but could Anon be a secret admirer of yours :)
As you can see from my reply above, I can't literally relate to the prom thing either--just in my imagination. And you can also see that Anon is not such a secret admirer. :) My life isn't nearly that interesting, but I do think it's awesome that my dad reads my blog.
DeleteCongrats to your crit partners. I think there's often something infectious about being with motivated, talented people. You want to be better too.
ReplyDeleteMy critique partner is a true blessing to me. She doesn't mince words, but points out what needs to be done with the story, and encourages me every step of the way. Though we started out as critique partners, she has become a very dear friend.
ReplyDeleteCritique partners' success is wonderful in a number of ways: You get to be happy for them, their growth as writers makes them more valuable critiquers, and they're an inspiration. What happy news!
ReplyDeleteWow. Congrats to Betsy and Kiki!
ReplyDeleteThanknhou for sharing. Like others have commented, I also believe hardwork pays off with opportunity. A positive attitude is also key.
I currently traveling with mu husband for his jon, and it is a long term situation. Do you have any suggestions for finding a critique partner?
Thanks for stopping by, Emilyann!
DeleteIf you write for kids, I would highly recommend joining SCBWI. On their website, you can connect with other writers looking for online crit partners, or online critique groups with openings may advertise. Good luck!
Thank you for the shout-out Faith!You are an AWESOME crit partner and I want to read CIRQUE right now!!!!! xo
ReplyDelete