What Makes A Good Crit Buddy?

Photo by Linzi Clark

I'm a lucky girl. I've had a kickass crit group, great beta readers, and friends (bloggy and otherwise) who have generously read for me and offered feedback. And what is always interesting to me is how different people can see such different things. That's why it's important to make sure you have a wide variety of people critting you (people who are not related to you, btw.)

Types of critters:

Partner

--This person invests in you as much as you invest in them. You exchange equally and you offer the entire gamut of feedback: line edits, plotting, characterization, story, pacing, etc.

--This is the person that you also go to for advice on writing career things

--I think having one of these is vital, but not everyone can fulfill this role because it takes a lot of time investment

Mentor

--This person is further on the path in their writing career, maybe they've already been published.  They can offer you guidance along the way.

Proofreader (Grammar Nazi)

--The detail-oriented English teacher type. She can spot a dangling modifier or misplaced comma from twenty yards away. She focuses on the trees, not the forest.

Cheerleader

--This reader sends your crit back with lots of smiley faces, lol's, and positive comments along with the negative things. They may not be as detailed as the proofreader, but they give you the confidence keep going. This is the person who will talk you off the ledge when you're ready to give up.

Whipcracker

--This person doesn't let you get away with anything. If you have deadline, she's poking you until you meet it. If you get lazy in your writing and try to sneak in a little telling, she will call your butt out.

Reader

--This person is not a writer but is a voracious reader. She is looking at the forest, not the trees.  This is also invaluable because SHE (or he) is your customer. This is who you are ultimately writing for.

Looking at this list, I definitely have had each of these in my beta reading ranks. As for my own style, I hope that I am a partner to my friends and regular beta readers. If I'm just critting somebody as a one off--then I'm more of a (hopefully) tactful whipcracker and reader.

So, how do you know you've found the right crit buddy?

A good buddy...

Listens to your suggestion and even if they don't always take them, they give them serious consideration.

Makes an effort to understand your writing and where you are coming from.

Gives as much as she gets.

Is honest--even when she knows it might be hard for your to hear

Doesn't just point our problems, but offers suggestions

Appreciates constructive criticism

Takes the time to point out what she loves, not just what's wrong (that smiley face here and there can go a long way when you've received a rough crit)

And beware the toxic crit parter, this person...

Throws up the defenses the minute you say something negative or suggest changes

Has a million excuses as to why your suggestions don't work--you don't understand their genre, you're not "getting" their point, etc.

Rarely implements the changes you offer.

Tells you what's wrong in your manuscript but doesn't offer help on what they think would fix it.

Only wants accolades. When those don't come, they get angry, pouty, or generally difficult.

Doesn't put forth as much effort on your work as you do on theirs

Tears apart your work without tact or helpful suggestions and if you get hurt, tell you that you need a thicker skin.

--There is a huge difference between "this sucks, I'm totally lost" and "this chapter may need a little reworking to make the plot points clearer"

Source: The Care and Nurturing of Critique Relationship

If this toxic buddy is in your life, fire them. You don't need that in your life. Writing is hard enough--don't add to your stress. Find good critters and move on.

CRIT GROUP MATCHMAKIING: Inevitably when I do posts on crit groups, people asks where to find crit partners because it can be such a hard thing to find when you're starting out and don't know many writers yet. I found all of mine online through blogging. But there are a lot of different ways--going to local writer's groups, social networking, etc. However, what I've done in the past is a little online matchmaking. 


SO, if you are looking for a beta reader/crit parter, put your info in a comment to this post: NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, GENRE, and what you're looking for, then people who match up with you can contact you. If you make a match, I suggest exchanging just one chapter first to make sure that your styles match and such. Good luck!

Alright, so what kind of critter are you? Do you recognize any of these types in your circle? Have you ever had a toxic beta reader?

 

**Today's Theme Song**

"Lipstick and Bruises"-- Lit

*This is a repost from November of last year.

Crit Groups v. Beta Readers: What Works For You?

If you stopped by on Monday, you saw that I am making an effort to streamline a few things in my life to free up more time for both my writing and my family. This involved the tough decision for me to cut down to MWF blogging instead of five days a week.  It also put another issue in my cross hairs.

So for about a year, I've been a member of the super fabulous Rumored Romantics critique group. The small membership has shifted and changed, but every person I've gotten to know through it has been an amazing writer and a great friend. I credit the big shift of "luck" I've had with my writing over the past year--contest wins, requests, and now an agent--in large part to the things I've learned being a member of this group.

However, the way the group is structured, we do chapter by chapter critiques. You get one chapter of yours critted per week and you're responsible in turn to critique one chapter of someone else's. This is great for those who are writing as you get critted--meaning you write a chapter, put it up for crit, start writing the next chapter and so on.

I, unfortunately, don't work that way. I have to write a rough draft in isolation first. I can't be getting critiques on something I'm currently drafting--it screws with my process. I think Stephen King said in On Writing to write the first draft with the door shut--meaning only for yourself. Then once you're done, open the door and share it with others. I don't think that has to be everyone's process, but it's definitely mine.

So I write the whole draft, then I start subbing to the group. But the problem with that is--then it's going to take 4-6 months for the group to make it through the novel. I don't have the patience for that. When I'm done with a project, I want to sub like now.

So with this most recent project, I sought out beta readers and found people who could read my complete book and give me overall feedback within a few weeks. Then I revised and submitted. When Sara offered me representation, my crit group was only on my chapter 3.

Therefore, I made the decision yesterday to step out of my group. It makes me sad, but the structure of the group just doesn't work for my style. I think my ideal situation would be to have two beta readers I trust to work with on full manuscripts. However, I'll be forever indebted to those ladies for whipping me in to shape and teaching me so many things I had no clue about when I first joined.

So, the good news for you guys is that, if you think the structure would work for you (and it does work for many) and you want a group that will give you the level of detailed feedback writers yearn for, there is going to be a contest to fill my spot!

Lynnette Labelle will be announcing details in the next few weeks, but if you write romance or something with romantic elements (no YA), then start polishing the pages you'd want to submit for consideration. The ladies are fabulous--two contest winning divas and an author with a three book deal with Tor, so whoever fills the spot will be a lucky gal (or guy!).

Also, in unrelated news, I found out Exposure Therapy is a finalist in the San Francisco RWA's Heart to Heart contest!

Alright, so how do you prefer to get your work critiqued? Do you like having a crit group that can offer detailed line edits or do you prefer beta readers and global feedback? Do you get critted as you write or do you have to finish a project first?

**Today's Theme Song**

"My Way" - Limp Bizkit

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

What to Ask Beta Readers

Photo by Bilal Kamoon

Sometimes the hardest part about a a critiquing relationship is finding people to exchange work with in the first place.  Yesterday, I put the call out asking for beta readers and you guys were awesome.  Thank you to each of you who volunteered.  I'm beyond appreciative.

But now that I have readers for my book and am going to be beta reading in return, what's the next step?  What exactly do I need from them and they from me?  These expectations are important to set up before you exchange work.

One of the biggest issues is what level of feedback you are looking for. With my critique group, we want it all--detailed line edits, big picture stuff, repetitive words, whatever we can find (similar to what I give on Beta Club days).  This is great to get but is also a slow, time-consuming process.  To get through one book that way can take months.

For the new betas I connected with yesterday, I'm going to be asking for global feedback.  Did you like it?  Did it make sense?  What parts lost your interest?  Did you fall in love with my hero, connect with my heroine?  Did anything make you want to beat your head against the wall?  Were you invested in the story and the characters?  etc.

But as I was thinking through my questions, I searched to see if they was something more organized and ran across the questionnaire below.  I really like the structure of this one, although I will be tweaking a few things. (Don't worry betas, I won't be asking if the love scenes made you hot.  I don't need to get that personal, lol.)

Now, I'm pasting this in because the author said on the site to feel free to share, so that's what I'm doing.  You can find the original copy here.  Hope you find it as helpful as I did.

Is it BORING?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Does any part of the story Drag?
• Are their parts that you skipped to get to ‘the good part’?
• Do I over-inform anywhere?

Did you Get it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Did you understand every phrase / term I used?
• If someone unfamiliar with this world or genre read this, have I explained enough for them to understand everything?
•  -- Did I forget to mention that someone was demon-possessed, half angelic, or had mystical powers?

Love Scenes?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Do any of the love scenes seem overly cliché? (Or overly sappy?)
• Were the love scenes too fast, too slow, or too frequent?
• Did you have to reread any part of the love scenes to understand who was doing what?
• Did any action in the love scene make you cringe?
•  -- Was your Comfort-Zone line crossed?
• Did it make you hot?

Do the scenes FLOW?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Does one scene lead logically into the next?
• Is there enough downtime between intense scenes to allow it to build to the next?
• Did the actions & positions flow smoothly from one to the next, or did they jump as though something was skipped?
• Were the Flashbacks smoothly integrated to fit onto the current scene -- or did they seem plopped in, like a chapter that was in the wrong place?  

Is anything VISUALLY Confusing?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Can you SEE every action clearly?
• If you went there in real life, would you recognize the places?
• Did you have to reread any part of the action sequences to understand who was doing what?
• Could you SEE what the characters looked like clearly?
• Did I forget to describe their Clothes, their Hair, their Eyes, any other distinctive feature that pertains to a specific character?

During DIALOGUE scenes…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Could you SEE what the characters were DOING while talking?
• Could you SEE where the characters WERE while talking?

Did the Characters WORK?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Do the characters ACT realistic?
• Does the Dialogue sound realistic?
• Do their reactions seem logical & realistic?
• Could you feel the Emotions between the characters?
• Did the characters seem IN CHARACTER?

• Who did you like best and WHY?
• Who did you hate and WHY?
• Who got on your nerves and WHY?
• Does any one character get in the way of the STORY?

By the way, if you want more on beta-ing relationships, check out Justine Dell's blog.  She's done a whole series this week on her relationship with her beta, including sharing samples of their crits.

Alright, so I'm curious how your beta relationships work?  What expectations do you have for each other?  Do you seek the details or the global?  Do you give them questions upfront or do you wait and just ask follow-up questions when they're done?  Also, how'd you find your betas?

**Today's Theme Song**

"You Get What You Give" - The New Radicals

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

WIP Wednesday and Seeking Betas

So I'm almost there...I can see it in the distance...the end.  I'm at 71,700 words as of this morning.  I'm thinking I'll probably get to around 80k before I type "the end".  I also have a chapter earlier in the book I left hanging that I need to finish, so I'm not sure where that will leave the word count.

I know there is a lot of work still to be done.  Beyond editing, I have a number of threads that I added later in the book (yes, pantsing my way along) that I have to go setup in the earlier chapters.  But I'm seriously excited about wrapping up the final chapters.  I've mentioned before that I struggle with endings, so once I have that on paper, I feel much better.  Editing and revising are much more comfortable for me (meaning I'm not a manic ball of anxiety like I am when I'm drafting), so I look forward to entering that stage.

Now, all this means that soon I will need beta readers.  Yes, I have a critique group.  They rock.  However, only one of the members is an erotic romance reader, so the rest don't feel qualified to crit this WIP.  (Plus, I understand that this genre is niche and not for everyone.)  So, I'm putting the call out.

I know most of you don't read this genre, but if anyone out there is an erotic romance reader (or writer) and you'd be willing to beta read for me, please email me (button in top right sidebar).  I'm looking for global feedback vs. line edit type crits.  Obviously, I'd be willing to crit your work back if you're a writer.  If you're interested, we could start with a few chapters to see if we fit as betas.  (Fair warning:  Before you volunteer, know that this book is not a spicy romance, it's erotic romance.  If you haven't read Harlequin Spice/Ellora's Cave/Berkley Heat type books, then this may not be the right fit.)

Alright, so how is your WIP coming?  Do you usually know where your word count is going to land?

**Today's Theme Song**

"This Is a Call" - Foo Fighters

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

How Do You Handle Critiques? (and a call for Volunteers)

Getting feedback is a necessary part of this business of writing.  I didn't realize the true meaning of that when I first started--I thought my mom loving my first novel was more than enough.  :)  But as we've discussed before, your mama isn't a valid beta reader.

So we go out and we find critique groups or send our manuscript out to beta readers, then we brace ourselves for the feedback.  We know what we want to hear: "You're fabulous, this is ready for submission, you don't need to edit a thing."  But usually the crit is decidedly less stellar (unless it's from your mom.)

So when the tough feedback comes your way?  How do you handle it?  Do you get angry, down on yourself, blame the critiquer, want to give up and go back to your day job?  Or do you breathe through it and look at the feedback as a gift for you to work with?

I've gotten a range of reactions when giving critiques to others's work.  I admit I'm a tough critter.  And I usually warn people of that before I offer to read their stuff.  But of course, people usually say, "Bring it on, I want honesty."

In some cases, that's true.  I've critted for a number of people outside my critique group and most have been awesome about receiving the feedback (including Tina Lynn whose twitter comment to me inspired this post.)  I've also gotten the stunned reaction--the "oh, okay, eighty crit comments on ten pages, um thanks."  Which I take to mean the person is either ticked off at me, dismissing my opinions, or really just needs time to soak the feedback in.

We each have our own way of dealing with those emotions that flood us after hearing the negative feedback.  Some of us tend to direct our anger and frustration outward--being defensive, getting angry at or discrediting/dismissing the critiquer--she doesn't know what she's talking about, this isn't her genre, and anyway, her work isn't that fabulous either.

 Others direct it inward--blaming themselves--I'm never going to be able to do this.  I suck. Why do I even bother?  Most of us tend to lean toward one pattern or the other--and this goes for life in general, not just for this specific situation.  Type ones get mad, type twos get depressed--same emotion just directed in a different way.

I am definitely a type two person.  I blame myself, wonder if I'll ever be good enough, yadda yadda yadda.  I've very rarely been frustrated with the critter themselves.  But either type can learn something from the other.

• Type ones need to take a breath and reflect.  They need to look for the truth in the comments, absorb the responsibility for the mistakes they may have made, and direct the frustration into determining which changes they think are valid and which ones they are going to ignore.  And most of all, do not be rude to the critter.  They took the time to give you honest feedback, which is not an easy thing to do.

• Type twos need to realize that a crit is just an opinion.  Sure, there is probably truth in most of what someone says, but not everything they say is cardinal law.  If type twos aren't careful, they'll end up flipping their story upside down every time they get a different crit trying to please everyone.  You have to remember that it is ultimately your story.  Make sure you pick and choose which advice you want to go with.

Okay, so related to this topic, I wanted to ask if anyone would be willing to be critted here on the blog?  This would mean you submit your first few pages and I offer a crit in a post along with getting feedback from commenters?  Obviously, this takes some bravery, but also means you could get some invaluable feedback from a bunch of talented writers (a  la Public Query Slushpile or Miss Snark's First Victim).  Everyone could also learn from each other on what to look for in a crit.  

If you think this would be a valuable tool, then let me know in the comments.  If you are willing to submit pages to get that critique, also let me know.  If you don't want to do it in the comments--just email me (click the little blue @ symbol under my picture.)

Alright, so back to the original topic, which camp do you fall in?  How do you handle a bad crit?  Have you ever had anyone get upset with you over a crit you gave them?  
 
 
 

**Today's Theme Song**

"Say It Ain't So" - Weezer

(player in sidebar--go ahead, take a listen)

Why Your Mama Doesn't Count as a Beta Reader

As I was watching American Idol this week, I realized that the contestants on the show are much like writers trying to get agents or publishing deals.  We all have a dream, we all believe we have some level of talent, and we want to impress the people that can help us realize our dream.

These people go on the show, wait in impossibly long lines (slush pile) then present what they've got to the judges (agents) for about a 1% chance of being successful.  So when I'm watching the show and see contestants walk in so hopeful only to open their mouths and sound like a dying cat, I always wonder why these people went through so much trouble?  Don't they know they're terrible?  I mean this guy seems honest in his surprise (sorry this is not from this season, couldn't find a good one yet on YouTube).

But time and time again, we see those contestants break down in tears, exit the room, and run into the arms of their genuinely astonished friends and family.  Inevitably, the mother is murmuring, "They don't know what they're talking about, honey, you're wonderful!"

And herein lies the problem.  If the only people you ever sing for are your family and friends, you're not getting any true help.  They aren't lying to you necessarily--they just love or like you and are looking for the good in you.  This is the same thing that happens if your only beta readers are your mom/friends/co-workers.

ANYONE who has any obligation or loyalty to you in real life is going to see things through rose-colored glasses.  You have to look at what the person has to lose by giving you a harsh feedback.  For instance, if you're writing YA and your friend's teen daughter offers to read your manuscript, she is already set up not to give you a negative opinion.  You are her mother's friend and an adult.  She's going to want to please you.

So, I know I'm probably preaching to the choir, but do not send your work out to agents before you've found  unbiased beta readers (including people who are writers, not just readers) or joined a crit group.  (I'm speaking from experience with novel #1 here.)  Otherwise, you may end up getting the same reaction from the agents that the judges gave the guy in the video above.

Yes, there are some people who are born with some amazing innate talent and nail it the first time with no help.  BUT they are the exception--and if you've watched the movie He's Just Not That Into You--remember that most of us are the rule, not the exception.

So give yourself the best possible chance for that agent to fall in love with your work.  Getting a crit can be terrifying the first few times, but wouldn't you rather hear negative feedback from a fellow writer than blow your opportunity with your dream agent or publisher?  Your manuscript might just be a few critiques away from amazing--give yourself a chance to reach that.

*steps off soap box*

--Alright, you only have until tonight at midnight (central) to enter the "win a crit" contest (are you getting tired of me reminding you yet?), enter here if you haven't already.--

**ARE YOU LOOKING FOR BETA READERS OR CRIT GROUP?**

I've noticed a few of you have left comments this week that you are looking for a crit group.  So in addition to regular comments, feel free to leave a "personal" ad for what kind of crit group or beta readers you are looking for and leave your email address so that others who may match up with you can contact you.

So am I the only one who jumped the gun on her first novel and queried before I had unbiased beta readers?  When did you decide you needed to join a crit group?  Who would you want as your literary agent--Randy, Simon, or Cara?  


 

**Today's Theme Song**

"I Honestly Love You" - Olivia Newton-John

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

What Makes a Good Crit Buddy?

I'm a lucky girl. I have kickass crit group, a great beta reader, and friends (bloggy and otherwise) who have generously read for me and offered feedback. And what is always interesting to me is how different people can see such different things. That's why it's important to make sure you have a wide variety of people critting you.

Types of critters:

Partner

--This person invests in you as much as you invest in them. You exchange equally and you offer the entire gamut of feedback: line edits, plotting, characterization, story, pacing, etc.

--This is the person that you also go to for advice on writing career things

--I think having one of these is vital, but not everyone can fulfill this role because it takes a lot of time investment

Mentor

--This person is further on the path in their writing career, maybe they've already been published. They can offer you guidance along the way.

Proofreader (Grammar Nazi)

--The detail-oriented English teacher type. She can spot a dangling modifier or misplaced comma from twenty yards away. She focuses on the trees, not the forest.

Cheerleader

--This reader sends your crit back with lots of smiley faces, lol's, and positive comments along with the negative things. They may not be as detailed as the proofreader, but they give you the confidence keep going. This is the person who will talk you off the ledge when you're ready to give up.

Whipcracker

--This person doesn't let you get away with anything. If you have deadline, she's poking you until you meet it. If you get lazy in your writing and try to sneak in a little telling, she will call your butt out.

Reader

--This person is not a writer but is a voracious reader. She is looking at the forest, not the trees. This is also invaluable because SHE (or he) is your customer. This is who you are ultimately writing for.

Looking at this list, I definitely have each of these in my beta reading ranks. As for my own style, I hope that I am a partner to my crit group and regular beta readers. If I'm just critting somebody as a one off--then I'm more of a tactful whipcracker and reader (<-this is fair warning for any of those who take me up on the offer at the bottom of the page.)

So, how do you know you've found the right crit buddy?

A good buddy...

Listens to your suggestion and even if they don't always take them, they give them serious consideration.

Makes an effort to understand your writing and where you are coming from.

Gives as much as she gets.

Is honest--even when she knows it might be hard for your to hear

Doesn't just point our problems, but offers suggestions

Appreciates constructive criticism

Takes the time to point out what she loves, not just what's wrong (that smiley face here and there can go a long way when you've received a rough crit)

And beware the toxic crit parter, this person...

Throws up the defenses the minute you say something negative or suggest changes

Has a million excuses as to why your suggestions don't work--you don't understand their genre, you're not "getting" their point, etc.

Rarely implements the changes you offer.

Tells you what's wrong in your manuscript but doesn't offer help on what they think would fix it.

Only wants accolades. When those don't come, they get angry, pouty, or generally difficult.

Doesn't put forth as much effort on your work as you do on theirs

Tears apart your work without tact or helpful suggestions and if you get hurt, tell you that you need a thicker skin.

--There is a huge difference between "this sucks, I'm totally lost" and "this chapter may need a little reworking to make the plot points clearer"

Source: The Care and Nurturing of Critique Relationship

If this toxic buddy is in your life, fire them. You don't need that in your life. Writing is hard enough--don't add to your stress. Find good critters and move on.

**Okay, so in a few days I may be looking for a few "readers" for the first fifty pages of my romance, Wanderlust. As I mentioned, I'm entering a few contests, and even though it's been through detailed critting already, I'd love overarching opinions on those contest type questions (i.e. Do you want to read more? Does the voice shine through? etc.)

You don't have to be a writer, just a reader (preferably of romance). But if you are a writer, I will offer something in return: either a detailed crit of your first chapter (up to 15pgs) or an overall opinion of your first 50pgs.

If anyone is interested, email me (click on the email button at the top right of the page). If I get more than three offers, I'll just pick three at random since I won't have time to crit more than that. (Warning: my story contains some four letter words, so if you're offended by that, please don't apply.)** REQUEST NOW CLOSED--Thanks to all those who offered to read for me! You guys rock. :)

Alright, so what kind of critter are you? Do you recognize any of these types in your circle? Have you ever had a toxic beta reader?

**Today's Theme Song**

"Lipstick and Bruises"-- Lit

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

WIP Wednesday & Thoughts on Beta-Reading

So I'm cruising along the editing train. I've made it to the halfway point in first round revisions with my romance. Woo-hoo. :) I will have a lot more to do once my critique group goes through it, but progress is progress. I did not meet my goal of writing a query letter for book two. I started, got frustrated, then put it away. *sigh* Why are these letters so darn tough? I'll keep it on my goals for next week.

For those of you not in a critique group or a beta-reading exchange, I highly recommend it. Even a few weeks in, I find my critical eye strengthening. Things I would have glazed over and not noticed before are not popping out to me as I read through my manuscript. In addition, I've learned a few new rules that I wasn't aware of (more of that in another post.) It also means I'm getting tougher as a beta-reader/critiquer for others. So those of you who I'm beta reading/critiquing for, don't take it personally if more comments are popping up on your chapters than before. It's not you, it's me. :)

I've also found that each beta-reader has their own pet peeves that they consistently point out. I think I'm obsessed with flow. The comment I find myself making most often is "awkward, reword". I hate making this comment because it sounds vague. There isn't one thing I can point out that's wrong, the sentence just makes me stumble when I read it. It's a rhythm thing. My rule is I make note of it if I falter on the sentences in both read-throughs. Hopefully, I'm not pissing off my buddies with this incessant comment, lol.

*Note: I'll be heading to Louisiana tomorrow to visit family for a long weekend, so I won't be around the next two days. I'm going to try to figure out auto-post, but you probably won't see me commenting on your own blogs for the rest of the week.*

So how is your WIP going? Do you have beta-readers or critique group? What pet peeve do you always point out when critiquing?

**Today's Theme Song**

"Cry" - Kelly Clarkson

(player in sidebar--go ahead, take a listen)

**This song doesn't match the post, but I saw Kelly in concert this past weekend and loved this song. Thought I would share.**

Got Awesomeness?

Agent Janet Reid recently linked to an article about confidence by Toni Causey. This article really hit home for me. I suggest you read it, but the gist is that confidence is a choice. Many writers feel that we won't have confidence until we have (insert appropriate goal--an agent, a publishing contract, a best seller, a second book, a series, etc.).

The hole in this plan is that there will always be something else we can tack on to that goal. "I have an agent, but what if my book doesn't sell." "I have a book published but what if everyone hates it." You see, we can always come up with something else to postpone confidence. Part of this is good--it drives us to continue to improve. However, it can also be detrimental.

If we lack confidence, it will show in our writing. Just like if you show up to a job interview and you don't believe in yourself. As a management recruiter, I saw this all the time. People would be so nervous and would start apologizing in the interview. "I don't have a degree, but..." "I know that company I worked for isn't top tier, but..." "I know this position is a little beyond what I've done, but..." It would drive me crazy. If you don't act like you could do the job, I'm not hiring you for it.

So if our writing says to the reader "I'm not sure if you're going to like this or if this story is worth reading", the person will shut the book and fire you. Now, I do want to say that overconfidence will show too. Nothing is more annoying than someone who talks about how awesome they are all the time. (Usually, these are the people who are decidedly un-awesome.) But a little confidence goes a long way.

I will say that I struggle with this all the time. I'm not confident by nature. My mother used to tell me all the time that if you walk into a room thinking you look good, other people will think you look good too. I'm not sure if that always works, but I see her point.

I went into my new crit group with that lack of confidence. When they selected me to join in the first place, I was surprised. Like, really, me? You liked my writing? Then I started reading their chapters and was like, darn they're good. They are going to tear me apart!

To my relief, I started getting feedback from them on how much they are enjoying my story (along with valid criticism, of course). I was shocked and so excited. But then after reading that article I realized, I shouldn't only feel good about my writing when I receive outside validation. I need to choose to feel good about it. I work hard at what I do. I try to improve my writing skill every day. And for that, I have the right to be proud.

So don't apologize in your query letters for not being published, don't send your chapters to your beta readers with disclaimers on how you "know this isn't great, but", and pat yourself on the back when you write a scene you're proud of. It's okay.

So how do you feel about your own writing? Do you have confidence or are you constantly apologizing? How do you push through a crisis of confidence?

**Today's Theme Song**

"Self-Esteem"-- The Offspring

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

Work In Progress Wednesday #4

*wipes sweat off forehead* Hallelujah. I just fixed my internet. After spending my entire evening on the phone with Time Warner (fun times), I went to bed and still had no internet. This morning, nothing had changed. So I've spent the last two hours playing with buttons and functions I shouldn't touch and lo and behold--internet! I have no idea what I did to fix it (something about DNS servers and IP addresses, who knows), but I'm not complaining.

Okay, so now for good 'ol WIP Wednesday. The one benefit of having no internet yesterday was that I was able to finish the rough draft of Wanderlust. Woo-hoo! It's a thousand words shy of where I wanted to be, but I'm a layerer. When I revise, I add words vs. cut, so I don't doubt that it will get to where it needs to be during revision. Therefore, I'm going to focus on the fact that I was able to type THE END. :)

As for the other manuscript, it is now with two agents. I sent out my newly revised query letter a week or so ago and received a request for a partial! :) So that means one agency has a full, the other a partial. I'm sure it will be a decent wait to hear back from either of them, but I'll let everyone know when I have more info.

This week has also been a good week for contests for me. I won a three chapter critique from Once Upon a Crime, so I'm excited about that. I'll let ya'll know how it goes. And I also was selected for a spot in a romance critique group, Rumored Romantics, over at Lynnette Labelle's site Chatterbox Chitchat. I'm really happy about becoming a member because I have been wanting to join a critique group for a while. Hopefully, all these things will help me grow as a writer.

So I think that's it for now. I'll be spending my day doing some beta reading and critiquing since I was sans computer yesterday.

How's your WIP going? Feel free to leave a link for your WIP post in the comments.