(https://pixabay.com) To all the writers out there, whoever you are and wherever you may be, please remember to value yourselves, to respect your efforts, and to keep on writing. Also please remember, writing comes from dedication and consistency and not from waiting for inspiration. (https://pixabay.com) Please follow the following links to find my novel: […]
via A Simple Hope For Writers — charles french words reading and writing
My writer’s group Noble Fusion met and critiqued the first draft of “Lampreyhead”. I have met professional authors. Noble Fusion itself has professional authors and editors. It does not matter how many words you’ve ever published. First drafts always suck. How do you know when you’re on to writing a decent book?
While writing the draft, an author can tell where that draft is weak. Usually the draft is a sequence of set pieces where the characters lack agency. The author will know where the plot’s been fudged, or that the magic system isn’t quite right, or that emotional beats aren’t given enough room to breathe.
The book is on the right track when: 1) your group is enthused, and 2) the critiques hold no surprises.
I knew this draft was rushed and lacked detail. I suspected the characters needed more depth. But I did not panic.
Again, as fellow Noble Fusion member Dr. Lawrence Schoen told me:
“I’ve done novel breaks at Taos Toolbox with Walter Jon Williams. Professional authors have presented drafts that were utterly unworkable. This draft is workable.”
On to the critique! Sally Wiener Grotta said of this draft: “The sentence structure is repetitive. It needs to vary structure to build tension. There is a lot of passive voice. Use active verbs.”
Barbara E. Hill was pretty thorough with comments like “We just don’t understand this universe” and “How do the characters feel about each other”, which…yeah. Lots more detail needed.
So I’d have preferred to have written something brilliant right off, but that’s not how reality works.
Today and tomorrow I am working with the cover artist to tweak the fonts. I am waiting for the marketing copy from CreateSpace. I am revising the draft with the goal of sending a draft to beta readers by the end of January.
Would you like to be a beta reader?
What problems do you run into on your first draft? Who does your proofreading?
The font layout will change, but this is the winning image chosen by both the voters and my writing group.
(sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner with this. Day job is tiring.)
My farcical abs! abs! abs! formula didn’t go over so well and I understand why: the eyes here arrest your attention. Women voters especially went for this design.
My writing group Noble Fusion East Coast (represent!) read my draft and declared the novel to be innovative, not in the spirit of Monty Python, and sliding close to grimdark.
Next step is to integrate the ad copy I purchased from CreateSpace. For $200, they research five keywords, write taglines and a punchy summary, and polish up the other little text bits I’ll need to advertise. The fee comes out to about 20 hours at my job and taps into the CS expertise, and so is worth the money at least as a starting draft.
I am launching a series this Spring and I need help on the cover for Book One. Yes, he is a failed vampire prototype. Yes, he’s been slacking for 700 years. Okay, yes, he’s a Philadelphia gigolo selling supernatural special endings. When the committee who created him returns to finish Satan’s will, he’ll be the failed, slacking gigolo on our side.
No cover has to be perfect. Just vote for the one that grabs your fancy. If you have an idea on how that design may be improved, send me a message (like #89 needs a thicker font or a reddish background or something).
Thank you for your kind consideration!
I easily see my 700 year old rejected vampire prototype protagonist as this awkward guitarist. Give this enthused drummer another ten years of hard living and she could be his outspoken sidekick. I got fashion ideas for both of them from this video.