THE SANDWICH METHOD FOR GIVING WRITING FEEDBACK (Part 3 of 3)

Source: Alan Levine https://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/14279306964/

Now that you know why to participate in critique or feedback groups and the best way to receive feedback, we'll complete the puzzle with a method for giving feedback.

Writing and critique groups follow varying formats for sharing work. Usually, the number of pages will be decided upon in advance depending on the number of participants and the time allotted for the group meeting. Sometimes, they exchange pages via email or hard copy a certain amount of time in advance of the meeting, and sometimes the authors will read their pages to the group at the beginning of the meeting. Manuscripts may also be exchanged so someone else will read your work aloud, which can also be helpful.

If you receive writing ahead of time, read the pages carefully and make notes. It can also help to read it through the first time as a typical reader and then read it through a second time with a more critical eye. Make notes of things you found interesting, unique descriptions, poignant moments, and other passages or elements you enjoyed. Also note any questions you have, areas which were unclear for you, and if you have a suggestion for changing a word or a phrase, jot down the change. If pages are read at the meeting, listen as closely as possible and make the same notes.

When it is your turn to provide feedback, remember the sandwich method. First, point out at least two or three things you found interesting or enjoyable. Next, point out a couple of areas where you had questions, were confused, or that could be improved. For feedback on hard copies received in advance, you can skip over the small, copyediting changes because the writer will be able to see those when they get their pages back. Finally, end your feedback by naming an additional positive aspect or reiterating what you enjoyed.

Another thing to keep in mind while giving feedback includes specificity. Avoid saying “it was good,” or “it was bad.” Include what specifically needs improvement or which particular words worked well. If you think an area needs to be better, try to offer suggestions about how it could be made stronger. Remember to be kind which will be easy if you approach the experience as it should be approached: a group of people with common goals getting together to help each other improve their writing. Keep in mind that just as they are not experts, you are not an expert either. For all you know, what they wrote could be perfect; you are just offering your own opinions and perspectives and they are free to accept the advice or dismiss it.

I hope this series has motivated you to participate in a writing feedback group; you will benefit whether you are a large group or a group of two. Happy writing!

THE BEST WAY TO RECEIVE WRITING FEEDBACK (Part 2 of 3)

Source: Alan Levine https://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/14279306964/

Welcome back. Last post, (hopefully) I convinced you that participating in writing feedback or critique groups on or offline is good for you. Now, let's talk about one side of doing it: getting feedback.

Putting your work out there for others to judge can be a harrowing experience. What if they hate it? As mentioned last post, if you cared enough to put it on paper and submit your work for review, there is going to be something good. And if they hate it, that is just that person’s opinion and it doesn’t doom your work for the trashcan; maybe that person just doesn’t know good writing when they see it. Regardless, if you find a caring, positive, help-oriented critique group, even if they did hate it, they will be able to pick some good things out and point out some areas where it may benefit from some changes.

When it’s your turn to get feedback, the most important thing to do is listen and take notes. If your group-mates have specific questions, answer them but don’t elaborate. Plan to have the urge to defend your work, pointing out what you meant, or attempting to correct viewpoints and then plan to bite your tongue, sit on your hands, or do whatever else you have to do to keep yourself from verbalizing those urges. However, while listening, do pay particular attention to passages, phrases, or sentences the readers didn’t understand or misunderstood as well as their questions, because these are like big red flags waving in the air indicating your writing was not clear enough in those areas.

Remember your critique group just wants to help you and, like you (presumably), they are all amateurs. Their opinions count and should be considered, but they are not the final words; If you think about what they say and decide they’re wrong, go with your gut instinct and don’t change it. A caveat, however: if several people say the same thing, consider what they said again a little more carefully before you dismiss them as wrong. And just because everyone says the same thing, it still doesn’t mean they are correct, so, in the end, don’t be afraid to go against the masses if you feel that strongly. Finally, say, “Thank you.” When you get home, read through your notes so they will be clear to you if you won’t be getting around to revisions right away. And then keep writing.

Feedback, giving it and getting it, is an integral part of the writing process. It can be scary, but don’t let that fear stop you from participating. Acknowledge your fear and do it anyway; following these tips will hopefully make the receiving end a little easier.

SINGING THE PRAISES OF CRITIQUE GROUPS (Part 1 of 3)

Source: Alan Levine, https://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/14279306964/

Does the thought of handing your writing over to a writing group to critique make you sweat with fear? Or maybe you’d like to join a writing group but you are nervous about what to say to your group-mates? If you are serious about your writing, you have surely heard that giving and receiving feedback is an important part of the process. 

It is true that feedback from others helps you to make your writing stronger. But it can be difficult. Letting others read your work, especially if you are not sure about its quality, can be a nerve-wracking experience. And if that’s not enough, when you join a critique group or attend a feedback session, you will be expected to deliver constructive criticism on others’ work as well. You may wonder what you have to offer others when you are still receiving help on your own work. The answer is a lot.

Unless you are in a writing group with Stephen King, Tom Clancy, or some other multi-national best-selling author, everyone in the group is in the same place (and I suspect even the famous authors receive some degree of working feedback). Whether you’ve written one book or six dozen, it is always valuable to know how readers see your writing and to listen to what works and what could be improved. Similarly, if you are interested enough in books and writing to be participating in a writing group, you have plenty to offer. 

The key is to join a group with people with whom you are comfortable and feel a connection to, whether online or off. Make sure everyone knows the group "rules" and that they come from a place of encouragement and support. Being in the right group and following the advice I will offer over my next two blog posts will help to ensure a more helpful, fulfilling experience.

REFOCUS TO REFRESH YOUR MARKETING

Source: Mark Hunter, https://www.flickr.com/photos/toolstop/4546017269/

So, your book is published and out in the world. Congratulations! If it's your first book and you're like many other first-time authors (like I was), you had high hopes that readers would be banging down your door ordering copy after copy after copy. But, instead, you got crickets. Maybe you even sent yourself test emails to make sure your server was up (new school) or checked your dial tone or doorbell to make sure it was working (old school).

Of course, lack of or low book sales can be caused by any of dozens of factors, but one you can start to fix right now is your focus on your target reader. I'm sure your book would be enjoyed by anyone and everyone on the planet, but, unfortunately being so inclusive in this situation can hurt you rather than help you. Instead of thinking about all possible readers, think about your ideal reader - that one person or small group of people for whom your book would be perfect.

If it's a children's book, think about the ideal age range. Is it too wide? On Amazon, board books are listed as good for babies to 2 years old, picture books for ages 3 to 5, and chapter books for ages 6 to 8. Is it truly best suited for both genders or could you focus on one or the other? Think about the book's price and where you've previously focused on trying to promote it. Are you reaching people who are unlikely to be able to afford or see value in the price you're charging? How about geographic area? Is your book place-centered so it might appeal more to people located in a certain city or geographic region? Is there a certain profession, hobby, club, or other group that might feel a particular affinity for your book's subject matter?

Generally, authors think of their target market too broadly and they need to narrow it so they have a clearer direction on where and how to promote their books. But it's possible you started with a very narrow market, sold to all of the people in that group who you could sell to, and now you need to expand your focus (but be careful, make small expansions). The key is figuring out who your ideal readers are, finding them, and figuring out what to say to them to get them interested in your book.

So if your sales have slowed or never took off, take a close, hard look at the qualities of readers you've been promoting and marketing to thus far and narrow or expand it as appropriate. Just don't give up!

MAKE A CHARACTER STORYBOARD

When writing your novel, it's sometimes easy to forget what your characters look like, especially if you're like me and can only make weekly appointments to work on it. My workspace is also relatively small considering all of the other things I write and that take up my time in my working area. After a storyboarding workshop last winter, I decided to create a visual profiles board. I had already written character sketches and found images online of people who I thought looked like my characters, so it was just a matter of copying them and old-school cutting and pasting.

The result is the board you see on the right side in this photo. With pictures of my characters (and other key items like my characters' home) attached to a piece of foam core, I can tuck the board away and pull it out when I'm working on my novel. When I'm done, I can stash them back out of the way, keeping my space tidy and organized.

GETTING READY TO LAUNCH

The door prizes -- by a door!

This Saturday, August 16th (1-3 p.m., 3rd floor, Bucktown, 225 E. 2nd Street, downtown Davenport, Iowa), I'm holding a launch party for my fourth book, Melody Madson - May It Please the Court? This is not my first rodeo - I know that people are not going to be coming out of the woodwork to hear me read and purchase my book; I will most likely know everyone there. I'm not going to sell out of my books and will probably have a lot of food left over. But the launch party is still worth it to me because that's not why I do it.

My launch parties are celebrations of a completed project, years of writing, rewriting, revising, editing, and getting a print book in my hand. It's a graduation of sorts - moving into a new phase in the book's life from production to marketing. Plus, I just like to have a party. I try to make the parties as fun as possible with very little focus on selling books. Since my first naive launch party for Crush and Other Love Poems for Girls, I've learned to have a presentation - a reading and a question and answer period.

I'm also into theme parties so I get creative with food and door prizes. For Other Side of Crazy, I had crazy food and door prizes. For Melody Madson, I'm sticking with a lawyer and from-the-book theme. For food we're having M&Ms (for Melody's initials); gavel cookies I'm fashioning out of hard drying frosting, sandwich cookies, peanut butter cups, and tube cookies; soda; and veggies pizza (because Melody is always eating pizza in the book, though not veggie). In addition to free books, I have four themed door prizes: a basket of items one might find on or in Melody's desk at work; a bag of chocolates because every teen I know likes chocolate; a can of instant vanilla coffee because Melody's develops a taste for it; and dog toys she might use to play with her cocker spaniel, Justice.

It will be fun for me and whoever else shows up - because it's a party!

(To read more about the book, click here to go to the book page on my website.)

I'M BACK...

A shift in priorities has kept me away from posting to this author blog regularly - but my priorities have shifted back - so I'm back, too. I have a new book coming out on August 16th, Melody Madson - May It Please the Court?, so I'm delving back into the literary world.

I've populated my Facebook author page and created a Melody Madson Facebook page. I've also dipped my toes into Instagram. I want to become not only a readers' author, but a writer's author so on my author-focused online presence I plan to post things that appeal readers and writers alike, like my historical fiction reviews blog which I'm gearing up to restart soon, too.

I've also added a whole "For Authors" section to my website. Click here to check it out. It has some other blogs I like fed into it, resources and links, and services.

Finally, I'm working on a new project helping a very special group of writers say what they want to say launching in 2015.

So... keep reading and writing.

I'll be back in two weeks!