So Your Critique Group's Awesome. Now What? How Do You Decide Which Notes to Implement?

Just about every writing blog I follow has at some point addressed the importance of critique groups, and I couldn't agree more. They're vital to making your work shine. A good critique group can mean the difference between signing with an agent or not, or even landing a book deal or not. We all need other writers to point out inconsistencies, plot holes, info dumps or just plain bizarre/bad writing. We also need cheerleaders to encourage us and point out the moments they loved. The best beta readers are a combination of the two.

Assuming you already have a core group of committed critique partners whose opinions and advice you respect, it's still difficult to decide which notes to listen to, and which to ignore!

Here's how I go about figuring it out:

1. Is there a consensus about some aspect of the story? (Do 3 out of 3 AI judges agree?) Then take another look at the problem, even if you don't want to, even if it's a pain in the butt to fix. There's a reason they all brought it up spontaneously. It's a problem. Consider this a bonus. It makes things easier.

2. What does your gut tell you? Even if only one person sees a particular problem, that doesn't mean you can automatically disregard it. You can usually tell right away if he or she has hit a nerve. Did you feel defensive or self-concious when it was brought up? Were you secretly hoping nobody would notice it? It's probably worth changing or you wouldn't have had that reaction.

3. What does your gut tell you, part B: Is the reader trying to help you tell your story, or are they trying to help you tell the story they wish you had written? If the former, give it serious consideration. If the latter, don't worry about it and move on. Luckily, it's been a long time since I've run into this dilemma; my beta readers all seem to "get" my style and help me see it through. I'm super grateful for them!

How do you handle critiques? Do you follow the above guidelines or do you think I'm nuts?

What I Learned From NaNo, and an Interview with Miranda Kenneally

Well hello there. It's been a few weeks! Here's what I learned in the month of November, which I spent revising my latest YA novel:

1. All first drafts are terrible.
2. This doesn't mean they will always be terrible.
3. Research is my friend.
4. Except when it isn't. (Too much can paralyze you.)
5. Knowing I have potential readers standing by was a powerful motivator. I don't want to let them down when the time comes to (gasp, horror) show this puppy to someone else.
6. When writing and revising is going well, there's nothing better.

Admit it, you bloodthirsty sharks: what you really want to know is, did I pass or fail National Novel Writing Month?

I'm going to give a non-answer, and there's nothing you can do about it. (Also, I didn't set out to write a novel, I set out to revise one, but, as they say on those Money Market shows, let's crunch the numbers.)

As I write this post, it's the evening of 11/30, the last day of the month, and I still have 25 pages (out of 250) to edit. So! 90% done, or an A-, but NaNo hard-liners will stamp FAIL on my forehead. However, I'd like to point out that I added nearly 7,000 words' worth of new material that I'm pretty proud of, and around the half-way mark of the month, I stopped hyperventilating / berating myself and started truly enjoying the process, which was a wonderful surprise.

My ultimate goal for the holiday season is to have a solid draft of this manuscript finished before the end of the year so I can get critiques in mid-December and January. On that front I believe I've succeeded. And now the real revisions can begin :)

Over at the Lucky 13s blog, I've posted my first interview for our Apocalypse Now series, in which we chat with 2012 debut authors about their Young Adult and Middle Grade books.

My pal and agency-mate, Miranda Kenneally, has a wonderful contemporary YA book, CATCHING JORDAN, out today. I was lucky enough to read an ARC of this exciting debut over the summer at the RWA Conference.

Miranda discusses her writing methods and other cool stuff right here. Happy Book Release Day!

NaNo Revision Mission

While many writers are click-clacking away for National Novel Writing Month, I'm spending my November in what my pal Sarvenaz Tash has dubbed NaNoRevMo: National Novel Revision Month. Joining me in this experiment courageous endeavor is fellow agency-mate Kat Brauer.

I spent January through August writing a new Young Adult novel, and then set it aside to edit BRUISED for Amulet Books. Now it's time to whip my new book into shape.

My grand plans got off to an inauspicious start when I printed the entire manuscript without setting page numbers first. Wheeeeeee!

With a full-time job, a baby on the way, and massive revisions ahead of me, I'm taking the next three weeks off from blogging. I'll still post to The Lucky 13s, though, and you can see my revision progress on Twitter. Follow me and I'll follow you back. I'm a follower.

Who else is committing to writing a novel or revising a new draft this November?

Happy writing, Happy Thanksgiving, and May the Caffeine Be With You.

See you back here December 1st!

What Makes a Good Editorial Letter?

My first editorial letter arrived last Friday from the fantastic Maggie Lehrman.

I was nervous to open it, but once I did, I found myself nodding my head like a madwoman and feeling a rush of excitement as I realized how much stronger Maggie's changes will make the story, and how well she knows the characters.

What makes the letter so good?

1. Praise goes a long way. Maggie started out by telling me her favorite parts, which immediately set me at ease and reminded me it's all going to be okay; she likes the book! That's why she bought it!

2. It's very organized: the perfect recipe for revisions. It doesn't jump all over the place; it's divided into categories so I can follow along easily and see how everything fits together. I'm confident if I follow instructions, I'll end up with a delicious cake.

3. It's clear and specific. Maggie didn't give me vague suggestions like, "fix the humor/emotion/tension/romance/mystery [insert attribute]"; she clearly laid out exactly what she felt might be improved, and then gave precise examples of how and why. As I read the letter, I could immediately picture what I needed to do. (Now it's just a matter of getting down to it...)

The next morning, I woke up early, ripped open my new package of red pens (see above), and started jotting feverish notes in the margins of scenes I wanted to flesh out or change. It's been exhilarating so far. I've got work ahead of me for sure, but Maggie's notes were so helpful and spot-on to me that I won't feel "right" about my manuscript until I've made these changes.

I feel very lucky to have an editor who believes in my writing and could see things in it that I didn't see, and who's willing to work with me to create the best version of the story possible.

What do you look for in critique notes or edits?