Maillllllllllllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiii! Where are you?
I just saw you quoted in a great post over at Racy Romance Reviews*.
The only bad thing about online friends is when you don’t see them as much anymore**.
*Even if I’d had a drink with you at RWA, dinner with you, twittered with you, etc — eviscerate my books if that is what the books deserve. Say my heroine needs to be smacked with a haddock. (I actually had to go look it up, because I’d forgotten what kind of fish Candy mentioned). My feelings won’t be hurt (and you shouldn’t worry that they might be, anyway.) It’s a book. (And actually, I like knowing what didn’t work. Probably masochistic but…well, there you have it.)
And most authors have lots of practice taking criticism/comments (some of it harsher than I’ve ever seen in reviews) from friends — all of the people who give me early feedback are on my BFF list. And they still are on my BFF list afterward (even more so, because they just made my book better than it was). My sister told me she didn’t like my first novella. She is still my sister.
**coughCrankyReadercough
I agree with you and am adding my voice to the “where’s Maili?” chorus! I loved the post I quoted by her.
So often, when I want to post about something, there’s already a great discussion of it at Romancing the Blog. I just love that site.
I think the important thing that comes into play is respect. I have allowed 3 very close “friends” to read a part of manuscript and they gave me their honest opinion and I was so grateful. I respect their opinion and even if they said they didn’t like it and told me the reason why, I wouldn’t be angry. They would help me improve and become a better writer.
This is good to know, given that I have been to RWA with you, pretty sure we drank something together, and even snored on your shoulder during Batman.
(And I will ALWAYS tell you how to fix your book. For example: More Jake. Right now. Plz.)
Loff,
Your Seekrit Girlfriend
It was water. Or soda.
Actually, the snoring-during-Batman might have been the real BFF test. You can say what you want about my books … but sleep during the Dark Knight?
*gasp!*
@Jessica: I wish that her site was still up. There are conversations/posts there that I’d love to revisit.
@katiebabs: that’s it exactly. And it’s not always EASY to take criticism, and yes — sometimes there is the “put your head in the corner and hate yourself and your writing and everything in the world” moment that follows, sometimes … but then you realize, “Okay, yeah, it needs this.”
But it’s never resentment at the person for pointing it out. And even those few minutes of “woe is me!” pass quickly enough … usually as soon as you get your ass back into the chair, and start working on the book again.
Like you have a choice on whether or not I am your sister. That decision was made before you were born.
I will also tell you that I enjoyed it more when I reread the novella. However I was upset since you were my author of the week and you only lasted a few days. I needed additional material to read. I guess I will just have to make you author of the week again in a few years so that I have enough books to last a full week.
I do so miss her. And CR, tell her hi if you see her and tell her to come see us in blogland.