Uncategorized | Hale and Hearty Words

I’m at the point in my current story where I’m almost ready to turn it over to let some folks read it. Some folks who aren’t me.

And I’m shaking in my boots. (Rain boots, as it were, since I’m pretty sure The Ark is going to float by my window any moment…)

I always get really nervous at this point in crafting a novel. Why? Because I know the opinions are about to come flying at me at 900 miles an hour. But I’ve learned a thing or two over the past few years, so no matter what, I’m ready.

The art of crafting a story is definitely just that–art. And art is subjective.

20 people read the same book: 5 will think it’s the best book they’ve ever read, 5 will think it was “okaaaaay, but…”, 5 will say they didn’t even finish, and the last 5 will rip it to shreds and find every single reason to hate it–just because.

Subjectivity at its finest.

Subjectivity is the combination of someone’s opinion with their circumstances (are they in a good mood or did their cat just die?). It’s their own preference combined with their life experience.

No two people are ever going to look at art the same way–whether it’s a book, a painting, a song, or one of those weird statues made of garbage. Some will love, some will hate. That’s just the way it goes.

So when you turn your manuscript over to inquiring eyes you’ve asked to read it, consider the following: you will get what you’re asking for.

So what do you do when you have opinions flying at you from all different directions? How do you weed out the opinions that might help and kill the opinions that might hurt? How do you stop the white noise from destroying your story?

Tuning Out the Subjective White Noise

1. It all starts with the eyes–and the eyes you choose matter. When you are an unpublished writer who doesn’t have an editor on speed-dial and your story is in the pre-published stage, it’s very important to get feedback on it. You need to know what you’re doing right and where you need some work. So the most important thing you can do is choose valued readers who can help. Valued readers are the ones who have knowledge you need: Critique partners, writer-friends, people who are familiar with your genre of writing, your agent, paid critiques, etc.

Notice who I didn’t put on that list? Mom. Not that I don’t think Mom should read it–she should. But her opinion is less valuable to you because, let’s face it, she’s going to tell you it’s wonderful no matter what. And her opinion, while good for your spirit, should be considered part of the “white noise.” Also in the white noise category? Your best friend. Your buddy at the gym. Your spouse. The chic in the Mommy&Me group who doesn’t really read but promised that she’d read yours. The point is, when picking readers, be picky. Choose people who have opinions that will add value to your story. And remember that your story is in the early stages so keep the number of readers at a reasonable level–do you really want the whole world reading it before it’s been tweaked and polished to perfection?

2. Prepare yourself. A story is like a child to an author. You’ve named it. You’ve nurtured it. You’ve loved it through good times and bad. So when someone offers an opinion (good or bad), it’s very easy to take it personally. Before your turn your story over to be read, prepare your heart. Pray about your receptiveness to what is being said. If you’ve chosen quality readers, the opinions you get will hold more weight, so you need to be ready to hear them with an open mind and an open heart.

3. Swallow your pride. Although your story is like a baby and you think it’s perfect–it’s not. There will always be opinions that will say you should change or work on certain things about your story. Subjective, yes, but be willing to make changes if they need to be made. There’s no point in soliciting opinions if you aren’t willing to make changes.

4. You are the author of your story–why is this an easy thing to forget? There are some who love nothing more than to put their own touches on your work. At this stage of your writing game, that’s not their job. They may make suggestions about things you should change, but be confident enough in your story and its lesson/point/essence and your own writing ability to know what to change and what to keep. If you aren’t careful, you can let someone else makeover your story until it’s not yours anymore.

5. In order to be strong with #4 above, you have to know the essence of your story. You have to be connected with your own message and voice. In his book, Techniques of the Selling Writer, Dwight V. Swain talks about the importance of understanding the “feeling” of your story. The feeling is yours. The feeling is what drives your characters and your plot. And the feeling is what shapes the writing rules you use. If you are in tune with that feeling, you’ll know what suggestions will work for your story and what won’t.

6. Be strong enough to say no. Just because someone suggests changes to your story doesn’t mean you have to make them. However, keep in mind that if you’ve chosen the right readers, suggestions they make should be worth looking at because hopefully they will only improve your work. Learn to balance suggestions and your story’s feeling.

7. No one has power over your story but you. You are the only one who can make the changes you need to make and you are the only one who understands the feeling of your story. Therefore, you are the only one who can decide what works for your story and what doesn’t. Anything that doesn’t work for your story is white noise. Any opinion that removes the essence of what you are trying to convey is white noise. Any person who tries to make your story into theirs–white noise. Anyone who takes away your unique voice–white noise. Value those opinions that begin by valuing what you are doing with your work.

We’ve all gotten good & bad feedback on our writing. It’s what we do with that feedback–how we react to it and what we change within our writing that crafts our stories and molds us as an author.

Get ready. It’s coming. But you and your story can both make it through.

Share with me: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received in a critique? What’s the worst?

I am a military brat. I am so proud of the fact that my father dutifully served our country in the United States Army for over 20 years, including during the Gulf War. It’s part of who I am. Growing up as an Army brat provided me the opportunity to travel and meet people from various cultures and religions and have a greater understanding of the world from a very young age. My grandfather served in the US Navy, and now my brother is serving in the National Guard. It’s a heritage of dedication to service.

As a history teacher, it really gets under my skin when people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but I’ve learned to let it go, simply because I don’t think there can be enough holidays to recognize the amazing things that our soldiers and their families do for all of us civilians.

However, on this Memorial Day, when patriotism and gratitude for our military seems to flow from every set of lips, I wanted to take a moment to address a “stigma” that seems to run rampant among the civilian world. I’ll give you an example.

Several years ago I was teaching a lesson in my classroom and I said something about someone joining the military after high school. A student looked at me and with all seriousness said, “Mrs. Hale, isn’t the Army just for stupid people who can’t get into college?”

(DEEP breath. Do not hit student. Do NOT hit student!! — These were the words running through my head at the time.) I calmly explained to the young woman that if it weren’t for the many, many, many intelligent, brave, and educated men and women who have served our country faithfully, the United States of America would not have prevailed in the many battles we’ve fought since our nation’s birth.

Why is it that many of the same people who openly profess their gratitude for our service men and women actually believe that the military is a calling only for those who can’t do anything else?

And a career in the military is indeed a calling. It calls to those who desire to be better, stronger, and faster. It calls to those who are looking for ways to provide for their families while making a difference in the lives of millions. It calls to those who hold no college degrees, or are highly educated. It calls to those with a sense of duty and honor, and a deep-seeded love for the democracy on which this nation was founded. It calls to those who are braver, more passionate, and more dedicated than most of us could ever be. It calls to those who love to serve, who can be disciplined, and can respond and act within a fraction of a second. It calls to those who are willing to die.

Perhaps my perception of this abundance of ignorance about the military is misguided, but it seems to me that in my life, I’ve crossed paths with multiple people who, while grateful for the service of others, have no idea what the heart of a soldier is like. I don’t know why these people continue to perpetuate the myth that the military is the catch-all for the dregs of society; for those who can’t go to college or aren’t smart enough to do anything else. Wars aren’t won by idiots.

Thank God for those willing to serve, willing to sacrifice time with their loved ones, and willing to die so that we might continue to enjoy our freedoms. I continue to pray that those who enjoy these freedoms will at some point try to understand the valiant, wise, and brave heart of a solider.