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Writing: People to Help in the Editing Process

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    I was wondering what types of people are good to show your work to. I don’t feel comfortable posting my stuff on the internet or I would post some here. Who do you guys use to get feedback from? Should you wait until the first draft is done to show people or is it okay to show works in progress?

    I’m asking this because I’m terrible at editing my own stuff. I like to get feedback from others, but I don’t know who to ask (friends, teachers, family members, random strangers, etc.). I have one friend reading a few chapters, but she isn’t giving any criticism really. I need criticism.

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    I think close, writer friends would be good. As long as they’re critical writers or readers, then I think they’d help.

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      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 17th 2009
     

    You can whisper it to people here who you think would trust.

    Otherwise, I usually do a quick edit for grammatical errors and minor things before showing to anyone. Otherwise people are wasting time on minor things, instead of character development and depth, story, etc.

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      CommentAuthorKyllorac
    • CommentTimeAug 17th 2009 edited
     

    I post it up on the internet on sites geared towards critiquing. It saves time otherwise spent on hunting down someone to critique my work or nagging my sister for impressions. Depending on the place/story, I’ll occasionally post WIPs, but for the most part, I wait until I finish at least the first draft before posting it for critique.

    Perfect strangers tend to give the best critiques, usually because they don’t care about hurting your feelings as much as a friend or family member. Teachers tend to be busy. Anyone who reads critically, though, is good regardless of their relation to you.

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    Otherwise, I usually do a quick edit for grammatical errors and minor things before showing to anyone.

    Well, I do that, even when I just show chapters. I go through and mildly edit the chapter.

    @hmyd
    I don’t really have any writer friends… and most of my friends flip-flop between loving reading and not liking so much. It annoys me that they do that too.

    WIPs

    What is that? I still worry about posting to the internet. Someone could hack the site. Someone could steal my ideas (I always feel like I sound full of myself when I say that, but I do worry about it). I need to find a writerly person to get criticism from.

    I can edit other people’s work, just not my own. I think it would help if I could print it out and write all over it, but it would take too much paper and ink to just have to go back in and fix things and then edit again.

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      CommentAuthorKyllorac
    • CommentTimeAug 17th 2009 edited
     

    Works In Progress – WIPs

    I think it would help if I could print it out and write all over it, but it would take too much paper and ink to just have to go back in and fix things and then edit again.

    is guilty of doing exactly that

    Just do whatever works for you. And be sure to observe Earth Day and plant an obligatory tree to make up for all the trees who died to give you your paper.

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      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 17th 2009
     

    Well, NP, there isn’t much you can do. You’ll have to risk putting it on the internet if you want anyone to critique it (unless you find a super critiquer in RL). Or email it someone..

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    I might have to do that when I’m actually done. I think I might be able to detach from the story more if I could write all over it and pretend it was written by someone else.

    EDIT:

    unless you find a super critiquer in RL

    I hope to find one. I think they are rare though.

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      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 17th 2009
     

    Possibly. I also step away from the story for a few weeks to come back fresh. It really does make a difference.

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    I usually show my work to complete strangers, as I can trust no one else to be brutally honest. This doesn’t always work so well though; because they’re complete strangers, sometimes they’re not so great critiquers and say things like: “you shouldn’t have put that line in bold.” Well thanks, that helped a lot. rolls eyes

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      CommentAuthorSpanman
    • CommentTimeAug 18th 2009 edited
     

    My mum is critical to a point, my dad is only capable of saying “It was great, I can’t believe you wrote all that!” and my best friend, the only other RL person I’ve showed anything to (after much persuasion on her part and much procrastination on mine), read the entireity of my first draft and then wouldn’t say anything to me about it except “I liked it.” Great. That pretty much put me off showing anything to anyone at least until I’ve got the second or third draft done and I’m happy with it.

    EDIT: and for the record, I don’t have any firends IRL who write at all, so yeah. Kind of sucks. I might show a bit of my writing to someone on II, but otherwise I’m GUARDING IT WITH MY LIFE.

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      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 18th 2009
     

    I don’t have any firends IRL who write at all, so yeah. Kind of sucks

    Same. They like reading whatever I give them, but otherwise no critiquing.

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      CommentAuthorDiamonte
    • CommentTimeAug 18th 2009
     

    I had some friends at my old school who write, but they like Twilight. So yeah. I don’t think I can value their opinions too highly. I was always the editing geek in my group of friends.

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    I have a friend who writes, but she’s not nearly as critical as me as I am of her.

    • CommentAuthorSlyShy
    • CommentTimeAug 18th 2009
     

    Well… I guess I’ll announce a little sneak peak of my next project.

    WaylaidWriter is going to be a private critique and revision focused site. Basically, it’ll be exactly the kind of place you could share your work online. And there will be some tools that’ll make the process easier.

    Just something to come. I can’t really devote my full time to it until college applications are over, so sometime in December serious work will be starting.

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      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 18th 2009
     

    Hm.. we already started something similar to a book club like that. We’ve stopped at nine people though, I assume this will be larger.

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    I’m really paranoid about people stealing my work, so I only show it to my mom and my sister. I vent to my mom about stuff like “I can’t get from Point A to Point B! WHY IS LIFE UNFAIR?“ I bounce plots, characters, and concepts off my little sister. She’s the most critical person I trust to read my stuff. In return, I edit her stuff.

    • CommentAuthorSlyShy
    • CommentTimeAug 18th 2009
     

    Hm.. we already started something similar to a book club like that. We’ve stopped at nine people though, I assume this will be larger.

    Also, the tools planned are actually a big deal. You’ll see. ;-)

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      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 18th 2009
     

    Also, the tools planned are actually a big deal. You’ll see. ;-)

    You kids and your new fangled technologies. Well, I’m excited for it. Wanna give me a peek?

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    Mister Big Guy has some crazy plans.

    Also, teachers. English teachers. Ok, not all teachers are good but if you’re lucky enough to have a brilliant teacher who really knows their stuff, don’t miss out on the chance to get feedback from them.

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      CommentAuthorDiamonte
    • CommentTimeAug 18th 2009 edited
     

    @ SMARTALIENQT

    I used to be the same way – totally afraid that someone would steal my manuscript – but then I was reading over an agent’s blog and she was commenting on how it’s not something to be concerned with. I mean, manuscripts really aren’t that valuable all by themselves.

    And I bow to Sly for this amazing site, and the one that is to come.

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    Well thanks, that helped a lot. rolls eyes

    You shouldn’t have put that line in bold (sorry, had to).

    @Spanman
    That’s all my friend will say too. “I really like. It’s really good.” And I say, “Thank you, but if you find something wrong with it, that would be nice.” And then she says she’ll try, but she still hasn’t given any criticism. I’ve showed stuff to other people too, and that’s all they say. “I like it” is so not helpful. I’d prefer, “I like it, but…”

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      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeAug 18th 2009 edited
     

    Hey, I’ll sign up for your next project, Sly! Sounds like a great idea… I’m extremely self-conscious about my writing, so most of the people I know don’t even know I do it. Weirdly enough, I’d prefer for complete strangers to read it than my best friend.

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    I don’t have any firends IRL who write at all

    I have one.

    ...Yeah, not really working out, is it?

    So I like Mr. Bossman’s idea, even though I’m already in The Group.

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