The awesome co-hosts for this month are: Beverly Stowe McClure, Megan Morgan, Viola Fury, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Angela Wooldridge, and Susan Gourley!
October's IWSG question: When do you know your story is ready?
This differs from story to story for me. Sometimes I am so madly in love with a story, I think it's perfect when I finish the first draft. Thankfully, I've learned to put it aside and come back to it later when I feel this way. That cures me of my endorphin goggles, and I can come back to chop it into bits.
Other times, I never feel the story is ready. I keep picking away at it, pouting and growling and eating way too many cookies. When I feel this way, I rely on my awesome critique partners.
Good critique partners will let you know when a story is ready for the world. It's their job to rein you in when you're going too fast or give you encouragement when you feel like your story isn't good enough. I'd be lost without my CPs. I might write good stories, but they help make them great.
I can't wait to read your answers to this month's question!
Endorphin goggles!! I love it. Yep, I've had those after finishing a story.
ReplyDeleteEndorphin goggles for sure! It's a really good feeling, but I know not to come back to my story until the high wears off. Lol! A good support system is priceless. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, critique partners are essential.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I'm so grateful for my critique partners.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful thing to say about your crit partners!
ReplyDeleteCan I use those endorphin goggles for other things, like exercise? :)
Dolorah, they are greatly enhanced with cookies!
ReplyDeleteKrystal, it totally is!
Natalie, yes, they are.
Alex, me too!
Madeline, I wish I could use them for exercise too!
LOL love the endorphin goggles. Perfect. :D
ReplyDeleteCookies are a must, Christine :) Thank you for sharing and have a great month!!
ReplyDeleteI totally second that. CP's make the (sane) writing world go round! We really need to instigate a "Critique Partner Appreciation" day, eh?
ReplyDeleteHello Christine,
ReplyDeleteSo true. Good critique partners make a difference when it comes to making sure your book has no loop holes.
Shalom aleichem,
Patricia
We always need to be cautious about those endorphin goggles. :)
ReplyDeleteEndorphin goggles. Love that description. It's too perfect. I always put stories away after finishing that first draft. I find three months of not looking at it always helps me better determine what needs to be chopped and changed.
ReplyDeleteCPs are lifesavers, aren't they? Or I should say "story savers." ;)
ReplyDeleteIt's always important to continue thinking about what you're writing even while you're writing it, because editing comes into play even as you write. That should hopefully mitigate some of the endorphin goggles. Things change once you actually start writing. New ideas occur to you, and it's important to acknowledge them, because it's no longer you in control, but the story. The story always knows better than you, it's just a matter of paying attention, and acknowledging when it's happened.
ReplyDeleteEndorphin goggles. That's the best thing I've read in ages! I agree about critique partners. What would we do without them?!
ReplyDeleteWe share the love of our CPs!
ReplyDeleteYes to the good critiquing! Mo way I could write a decent book without their insight and feedback.
ReplyDeleteI'd totally be lost without my CPs, too. They're indispensable!
ReplyDeleteHi Christine - I'm sure your beta readers help hugely ... and then the critiquers - essential to the story's life ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteEndorphin goggles, eh? Where can I can some of them? I'm usually wearing much more pessimistic glasses. BTW, I'm enjoying your 13th floor series right now.
ReplyDeleteI have to let a story get cold before judging it too. Sometimes as long as a year or so. Finding the flaws in a story too soon can be as hard as recognizing a bad fashion trend. Time spent apart helps.
ReplyDeleteLove your "goggles"! - I do that with short stories, but by the time I finish a novel, I've lost the goggles.
ReplyDeleteHooray for awesome CPs!
I've been picking at one story for a long time now. Might be timw to move on.
ReplyDeleteLol—"endorphin goggles." :)
ReplyDeleteI agree, good CPs are the best! Don't know where I'd be without mine.
I wish I had critique partners!!! How do I get one of those.... ???
ReplyDeleteI can't remember the last time I felt really good about a story after the first draft. I have to put it away and come back and then realize it's not so bad after all and maybe even good.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's usually when I feel like I'm not improving the story anymore. This is always after critique partners and beta readers and all that lovely editing.
ReplyDeleteYes! I love critique partners for that too! And that joy of finishing a draft and loving it. That is the best. :)
ReplyDeleteEndorphin goggles. *snickers* I swear I have those on over top of my "this is crap" goggles. Sometimes they intermingle. LOL! Critique partners help a lot.
ReplyDeleteI count on honest feedback as well. Couldn't submit without it. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Good critique partners are priceless. You're lucky to have them.
ReplyDeleteCritique partners are amazing. They always find things I never would've seen myself. I think I'm only in love with my manuscripts in the first draft stage--that's because I'm okay with imperfection then.
ReplyDeleteYep, CPs are the best! Sometimes when I like something I've written, a cp will offer an even better line or word. Yep, they're great!
ReplyDeleteLove is tricky that way... happens with men, too! LOL :) Yes, CPs help us see logic when we're too head over heels to think straight.
ReplyDeleteLove your new header!
ReplyDeleteI always insert time away between edits. It's the only way to see things more clearly.
Cookies make the day so great sometimes. I agree about critique partners. Sometimes the eyes and words of advice by a really great writing partner makes all the difference in the world :)
ReplyDeleteJulie and Nicola, thank you!
ReplyDeleteCrystal, we do! You bring the cheese and I'll bring cookies. :)
Pat, so true!
L.G., those goggles can get me into trouble!
M.J., and you're the queen of rewrites. I've seen your red ink!
Chrys, yes! Story savers. :)
Tony, great advice.
Ellie, I have no idea!
Lee, yay!
Stephen and mshatch, me either.
ReplyDeleteHilary, they are!
Ken, I sometimes don those goggles too. I hope you enjoy it!
Elizabeth, exactly. Just like time apart from the 90s makes me wonder why on earth I did that to my hair?!
Tyrean, hooray!
Diane, it does sound like it.
Kristin, here's to great CPs!
Cathrina, there are tons of groups that will pair you up with them or you can call out for some on your blog.
Susan, I'm getting more critical of my own as I get older. Time does help.
Patricia, I only considering editing lovely after it's done!
ReplyDeleteLoni, it totally is!
Cherie, ha! I have those kind of goggles too.
Anna and Olga, yes!
Jenni, my CPs are wonderful nitpickers and get all those bits I never see.
Gwen, oh yes!
Alexia, *LOL*
Mary, thank you!
Erika, here, here! :)
Yes! Having those trusted critique partners is essential.
ReplyDeleteOK, I know I'm just repeating everyone else but you definitely seem to have coined a phrase with 'endorphin goggles' - copyright it now!
ReplyDeleteLynda, truly!
ReplyDeleteAngela, I should! *LOL*
I learned a new term--endorphin goggles. LOL Great. Best wishes.
ReplyDeletelol! Endorphin goggles--that's awesome! Totally going to steal that :) They are kind fun though, if only to have a few moments of thinking I've written something awesome (which is generally not the case for me).
ReplyDeleteCritique partners are really good about letting you know when your stories are ready. When they say a story is ready, it's ready!
ReplyDeleteCritique partners never stop being relevant. I'm always excited to meet a new beta reader that I gel with - even at the highest magazine levels, you rely on others to help you escape your own thoughts.
ReplyDeleteEndorphin goggles... what a perfect expression to describe that first blush of love over something we've written.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Crit partners are... critical. We think we can be objective about our own work, but it's darned near impossible to separate our egos from our work.
On a certain level a story never feels ready, but getting good feedback really helps you tell when you're getting close.
ReplyDeleteCP make all the difference in the world as do content editors! But I'm still never done. :)
ReplyDeleteWas going to read your book on the beach, but Matthew wanted to visit, so I had to leave. Still, the trees are turning and it'll be just as much fun near the fire with a cup of green tea! :)
Critique partners are such gifts to us as authors.
ReplyDeleteSo hard... if I had no deadlines, I would probably never think my book was ready as I'd always be finding something to fix LOL.. but completely agree... i would be lost without my amazing CPs :)
ReplyDeleteMy feelings about my stories also vary between having endorphin goggles and wanting to drown myself in a bottle of vodka.
ReplyDeleteNice to know I'm not the only one.
Diane, thank you!
ReplyDeleteMeradeth, I love that feeling!
Sherry, it is!
John, well said!
Susan, that it is. It's why editing out parts hurts!
Mark, definitely.
Yolanda, awesome! Hope you enjoy it. :)
Angela, they are. :)
Tania, deadlines do help greatly too!
Misha, it seems several of us feel the same way. :)
Excellent points, Christine.
ReplyDeleteWe do have to put it aside before we do something stupid.
:)
Heather
I totally agree, it's so invaluable to have a second (third, fourth) pair of eyes on a story, especially someone you trust to be honest!
ReplyDeleteGreat answer to this months question. Thanks for visiting my blog. I survived the hurricane and the moving and back online. Happy Writing.
ReplyDeleteJuneta @ Writer's Gambit