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That doesn't mean I do whatever they say. It means I think through WHY they said it and see if it makes sense. Most of the time I pop myself on the head and think, OF COURSE! Sometimes, I hesitate. If I hold off I still make a note of it and when I get to the next one I see if something is marked in the same area. If it is, or if it's something different but in the same section, I take a look at that part and see if I can find yet another reason a reader may be getting caught at that part because chances are if more than one person finds a problem, something is wrong.
When I'm all done with that, I go through one last time for simple catches and to make sure it reads smoothly. I might do several things here. I might read it out loud. I might put it on my Kindle and read it like a book because that can reveal things that I didn't catch on the computer. Or I might print it all out on paper and go through. Seeing it in different ways like these can prompt something in our brains that helps us see it in a new light.
If you aren't sure you're done, put it away again for a good long rest. Okay, even if you ARE sure you're done, put it away for a good long rest then read it again. If you are satisfied, go back to step one, take out your summary and start working on that query! If you have an agent, then send it to them. If you're self publishing, I don't know! What's the next step? The editor I suppose. If anyone wants to weigh in on this please let us know.
And don't forget the chocolate. Especially when you look like the kitty above.
Yeah, critique's are needed. And even when the grammar's good, the wording ripe, you may have to do little unexpected things that take you awhile to figure out.
ReplyDeleteGreat points. That's exactly what I do. I open a new doc side by side with the track changes doc from a CP.
ReplyDeletePutting the doc away to gain fresh eyes is something I've learned to do, finally. It takes lots of patience, though.
ROFL!!!! I hope the cat's owner locked his bedroom door before going to bed. That looks like one kitty looking for revenge.
ReplyDeleteI'm realizing the benefit of letting your ms go on vacation for a bit so that you can see the mistakes with fresh eyes. That's why I always hope my beta readers don't rush through my books. How can I send it on vacation if they are determined to read it in a week? ;) But I'm also seeing the perk to working on more than one project. Especially when you're excited about the other projects. It's so much easier to send your ms on a world cruise that way. :)
Awesome advice. When you and Leslie return your notes, I usually read through all the notes first. Then I let them marinate for a few days. Then I open all three documents, mine, yours, and Leslie's, and then work through one section at a time. Then I read through again for smoothness.
ReplyDeleteYou're right...if it caught your attention, then I need to tinker!!
The side by side works well for too. And time and distance is so important. The thing I find is there is ALWAYS something to fix, but sometimes I reach a point where I don't know if I'm making it better or worse.
ReplyDeleteOh, poor kitty. I normally do a side by side, too, but my last critique discouraged me so much that I haven't been able to get past the first chapter. I know I'll go back to it, I always do, but uh. Our egos are so wrapped up in our writing and even constructive criticism can be tough to take. So far, chocolate isn't helping. But I'll keep eating it, just in case.
ReplyDeleteI print out my latest revision and then go through my readers' notes one at a time jotting them down on the hard copy. I don't like to tweak anything until I've read all the notes. I especially focus on the ones that popped up from more than one person. I always do a hardcopy, read aloud, and Kindle pass before I swoop in on my final polish draft. If I still like my story after all of that it's a rush.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice, Lisa!
ReplyDeleteWhen I receive a critique back, I'll open it immediately and read through every comment. Then I'll print it, step back, and re-read it a few days later after the initial thoughts have faded away before facing each one head on. I normally print it out with the comments, set it beside the monitor then address each comment. I found this helps because I may write my initial thoughts on the physical pages so I don't forget them when I come back to make changes.
I do the side by side thing too - it really does help you to see their ideas in context. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd here I thought it was:
ReplyDeleteA) Write
B) send to Critique group
C) Make every change suggested
D) Submit
E) Reap wealth
F) Remember the little people (or fave bloggers who helped)
Guess I need to revise this list and send it out the critique group. I can only hope bullet E moves up on the list...
When I got my first round of revisions back from my publisher I was stunned to find dozens on every single page! Thousands! And I thought it was perfect. Laugh! At least she wrote in purple ink.
ReplyDeleteHere's the chocolate!! Hugs. It's not easy to look over critiques but the person really is trying to help (most of the time) so I do like you: look it over, see if it makes sense, and fix it if necessary, if not, I move on to the next.
ReplyDeleteYou and I work in the same way. And I'm pretty sure I look a lot like that kitty as I'm reviewing comments. But in the long run, the manuscript is always improved.
ReplyDeleteMy comments are due back from my editor/beta reader any day. It's comforting knowing that no matter what she says, that you all go through a similar process. And that it's what you HAVE to do to make it GOOD! Thanks Lisa. :-)
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of reading it on a kindle or different media - the different perspective helping you catch things you missed other times!
ReplyDeleteHey, that's what I do, going through each critter's notes one at a time and contemplating the feedback. Then read as a whole. I really need to print it up more though. Usually I try to read it aloud; that helps immensely. :)
ReplyDeleteNot perfect? OMG. I'm in that club and how did you get that picture of me? We need to talk.
ReplyDeleteAs to taking criticism . . . I'm so much better at it now than I was when I started. Now I read the crits. Stomp outside. Stomp inside. Tell the computer it doesn't have a clue, then I re-read all of the comments and say something like, "I think they have a point." OR "No way are they right on this one." Even if I don't entirely agree with the suggestion, I give it careful consideration, and I often find I can come up with a better way to write something, even if it isn't exactly what the crit person had in mind.