The best thing you can have in your writing life is someone who is brave enough and smart enough to give you honest, helpful feedback. The second best thing you can have is the ability to listen to that feedback with all of your senses, and then use it to make your work better.
I have the first of those things and usually (okay, sometimes, at least) the second as well.
Some of that is thick skin. Some of it is how much I respect the person taking time and brainpower to give me feedback. And some of that is because it’s just plain fun. Because as much as I like writing, perhaps what I like even more is that moment when I think I have a good piece completed and someone gives me feedback that resonates perfectly, when someone presents me with an idea that has the potential to take a piece from good to great. It’s like sitting on a spider web and feeling that first strum of a meal touching down. The excited tremor of “wow, yes, that’s exactly what it needs” runs up my spine, and down into my feet. I know what comes next, and I know that if I don’t screw it up too badly, the end result will be awesome.
I’m having that moment right now, my mind racing to capture and hold the suggestion so that when I sit down to write tomorrow morning, it will be there, ready for me.
Giving feedback is as hard as taking it. Maybe harder. Anyone who’s willing to brave your tangled web with useful suggestions and thoughts about your writing is a keeper. Wrap them up in your silver web threads and feed them drops of moondew so they will stay with you forever. And don’t forget the most important part: Actually using their advice to improve your work. Spinning a yarn is good. But spinning a silken yarn is even better.
Today’s Words:
2,500 gaming
Miles Walked This Year:
Words Written This Year:
My 42 Writing Projects This Year:
6. The Bone Key (novel)
5. Love and Sex in the Ninth World (gaming)
4. The Ninth World Guidebook (gaming)
3. Numenera CO (gaming)
2. Izaltu’s Needle (gaming) 3,500/8,000
1. Kinky Rewrite (non-fiction book) 46,000/60,000
Kiss kiss bang bang, s.
**Today’s title courtesy of I tell thee all, I can do no more, a short story by Sunny Moraine.