[process] The gentle art of selecting first readers
asked in comments here:
Can I ask you a off topic, writing related question? You mentioned recently in a post that you were ready to send off your current piece to first readers. My question is what would be the criteria in choosing first readers? Are they just average people, or other writers?
I first understood years ago, in critique workshops, how widely varying individual readings of any text are. Individual experience, genre and sub-genre, vocabulary choice, social or emotional relationships between the reader and the writer — all these and much, much more color the way stories are read in manuscript. Add to that “workshop effect”, which is to say anyone reading a manuscript critically will find something to critique, by definition. All in all, reader reaction around a workshop table will be rather different from reader reaction in real life.
At the same time, it’s what you have to go by.
I haven’t workshopped regularly in a few years now, except as a guest pro. That’s a combination of logistics, life choices and evolution in what I need from a workshop. Longtime readers of this blog will recall my prior disquisitions on the three basic types of workshops. One thing I’ve come to realize is that for me, at least, in order to be effective, a workshop needs to allow me to “play up.” If I’m the most experienced writer in the room, I’m generally getting the least personal development out of the process, however rewarding it may be at many other levels.
What I’ve done is substitute an increasingly wide and varied network of first readers.
To your question, what I look for in first readers can vary considerably. If a reader is able to offer cogent critique, that’s absolutely a win. Also, strong line editing skills. (These two foregoing are decidedly not the same thing, though some people do have both.) But I also look for reader reactions. From relatively naive readers (ie, not deeply embedded in my genre), from experienced readers, from readers of different generations and temperaments and outlooks, from readers with specific subject matter expertise as well as from readers with wide general knowledge bases.
I’ve learned to pretty effectively analyze my own work critically. That was the job of my workshops for many, many years. But I can never read as if I were all those other people. Each of them brings a different experience, a different tone, a different outlook. Some will like a given work more than others, some will understand it better.
In both cases — workshoppers and first readers — the single most important element is me understanding where they are coming from. Joe Superfan reading my work with an eye toward what was done first, better and more powerfully in the New Wave gives me very valuable feedback which I can only exploit if I understand the viewpoint from which he is reading. Likewise Carolyn Rocketscientist, who will make passing comments on physics, science and math which I take very seriously even if I don’t at first understand them. My dad, an old State Department China hand, read Escapement for me, because of his insights on everything from Chinese history to Wade-Giles transliteration.
Criteria for first readers: A variety of experience and viewpoints, ideally including people who are not necessarily fans of you or your work. They should have the ability to effectively communicate their reactions to you. (Though “I didn’t get it” can be the most valuable feedback of all, under some circumstances.) And they should care about writing, because that is how yours will improve.
Tags: Books, Escapement, Process, Writing
Posted: 3:33 pm Tue March 31 2009 | Comments(1) |
[photos] At Casa Calendula
‘s new place, all done up nicely.
The living room
Books!
Herself at home
Orchids
Tags: Books, Calendula, California, flowers, Photos
Posted: 2:21 pm Tue March 31 2009 | Comments(0) |
[links] Link salad runs quiet and deep
A reader reviews Mainspring [ Powell's | Amazon thb
| Audible ]
Writing advice from the wise Greg van Eekhout
The Ordering Game — How to order food at a diner. Bonus: photo is from a well-known Portland restaurant. (Thanks to .)
Bank walkaways in the foreclosure market — Weird stuff. Very asymmetrical social and economic decision making here.
The Quiet Coup — The Atlantic on how the United States economy has become a Third World institution.
?otD: Why is there no question today?
3/31/2009
Body movement: 60 minute urban walk (hills!)
This morning’s weigh-in: n/a (traveling)
Currently reading: The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade by Herman Melville; Corpse by Jessica Snyder Sachs
Tags: Books, Funny, Links, Mainspring, Personal, Politics, Process, reviews, Writing
Posted: 4:40 am Tue March 31 2009 | Comments(0) |
[links] Link salad plays croquet behind white-washed walls
The day in San Francisco — A photopost from yesterday, with various fun photocomments in response. Feel free to add your own.
Twittering in your underwear — J.P. Haines makes some excellent points about blogging, social networking and public personae. (Including using yours truly as an example.)
on the proper use of high heels — This will make you laugh so hard people will come check on you.
Possible mud volcanoes on Mars — Ok, this is just cool. APOD strikes again.
?otD: How humid is the press of days?
3/30/2009
Body movement: 60 minute urban walk (hills!)
This morning’s weigh-in: n/a (traveling)
Currently reading: The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade by Herman Melville; Corpse by Jessica Snyder Sachs
Tags: Cool, Funny, Links, Personal, Photos, Publishing, Science, Writing
Posted: 4:41 am Mon March 30 2009 | Comments(0) |
[photos] The Borderlands Write-In
And some photos of the Borderlands write-in…
and
and me
Me and
More to come, uploading time permitting.
Tags: Calendula, California, Photos
Posted: 4:49 pm Sun March 29 2009 | Comments(0) |
[photos] The day in San Francisco
Me and , seventy degrees, sunny, top down, Camper Van Beethoven rocking on the CD player.
How was your day? Post a photo and show us.
Tags: Calendula, California, music, Personal
Posted: 4:23 pm Sun March 29 2009 | Comments(0) |
[personal] Saturday in San Francisco, in motion
Yesterday and I were over at Borderlands Books to do a write-in followed by a reading. was there, and turned up, as well as along with 12 or 15 other folks. We each wrote about 1,000 words on a story, then swapped files and finished each other’s work with another 1,000 words. Produced were “The Starship Mechanic” and “Looking for Truth in a Wild Blue Yonder.” (Which of us originated which title is left as an exercise for the reader.)
We then read both stories aloud, and spoke for a while about careers, writing process, and whatever the audience wanted to ask. It was a lot of fun, some books were sold, and Borderlands took very good care of us. and I had a small party yesterday evening as a sort-of followup/housewarming for her new place, which made for a nice, full day.
Tags: Calendula, California, Personal, stories
Posted: 6:35 am Sun March 29 2009 | Comments(1) |
[links] Link salad wrote a story
A Story of Engagement — Brenda Cooper on electronic marketing for the writer. Nice, thoughtful post.
Paul di Filippo on apocalyptic fiction — (Snurched from Dark Roasted Blend.)
Barnumville — Photos of circus performers. (Snurched from Drawn!.)
50 ubergeeks worth following on Twitter — Can’t remember if I posted this before or not.
?otD: Have you ever woken up in a bathtub full of ice?
3/29/2009
Body movement: urban walk to come
This morning’s weigh-in: n/a (traveling)
Currently reading: The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade by Herman Melville
Tags: Books, Links, Personal, Photos, Publishing, Tech
Posted: 6:28 am Sun March 29 2009 | Comments(0) |
[personal] It’s morning in Cole Valley
In San Francisco with at her newly-decorated place. Tres elegante. This morning we walked up Twin Peaks and back down (whew!). Now getting ready for the -a-palooza at Borderlands starting in, um, half an hour.
Whee!
See some, all or none of you there.
Tags: Calendula, California, Personal, Writing
Posted: 9:24 am Sat March 28 2009 | Comments(2) |
[links] Link salad enjoys a beautiful day in the Bay Area
Photography sculpture — (Thanks to .)
Bent objects — More wire art, and other things. (Thanks also to .)
Pun for the Ages — The New York Times on puns. (Thanks to my Dad.)
Subtle Butt — Disposable gas neutralizers. (Thanks, I think, to .)
And speaking of hydrogen sulfide — (Thanks to .)
Almahata Sitta 15 — More on those meteorites in the Nubian Desert, from APOD.
?otD: Have you been to San Francisco?
3/28/2009
Body movement: 60 minute urban walk (up Twin Peaks!)
This morning’s weigh-in: n/a (traveling)
Currently reading: The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade by Herman Melville
Tags: Art, Cool, Funny, Language, Links, Personal, Science, weird
Posted: 8:45 am Sat March 28 2009 | Comments(0) |
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