One of the "myths" of being a writer is how exciting it MUST be to get published. Not so. It makes one a mass of anxieties: will anyone buy the book? Will anyone like the book? Will the publisher--or any publisher--want to publish another one?
As many writers will tell you, there's a point in each book where they feel like they're a mess, a fraud, the book doesn't work, the book will never work, you have no talent, etc. Each book is in some form a miracle in itself. Unless it sucks, I guess. But that's the point: you can't judge yourself.
Whenever you start a new book, the loftiest goals are in place, the grandest of visions. And then, as you write, characters take over, the plot moves in different directions, and as that happens, the original vision, whatever it may have been, grows fuzzy around the edges the book changes into something else. It's still a book, but what kind of book? It's different from the original idea, but it always is. The question is, is it good or is it bad? Unfortunately, unless you have a monstrous ego, it is impossible to be able to know yourself.
And that's the power of reviews. I've been blessed to have received only positive reviews. What does that mean? Not a whole lot, because many people quite kindly will not write negative reviews. The argument is that writing a book is hard enough and there is enough empathy to excuse a book that may not be one's cup of tea (to be kind) and let it slide past unmentioned.
In any case, I'm at that point in the current book where I have no idea if what I'm doing makes any sense, is any good, would entertain a desert island-stranded semi-literate, etc. I finished today's writing and picked up my late lunch. I turned on the computer and on Bill Crider's site (I use it as a portal for other book-related sites) I saw a mention of the just-released "Truth Always Kills" at the Bookgasm site. Just like I found George Kelley's review from Bill's site a few weeks ago, and Bill's own review before that, there it was, posted for the past hour.
It's a good review, by a careful reader. So thank you, Bookgasm, and for the rest of today at least, things look better than they did this morning. Just don't ask how things are going tomorrow. In short, writing books is one helluva head game. But it certainly beats a sharp stick in the eye, and really, what could be better?
Here's the review....
As many writers will tell you, there's a point in each book where they feel like they're a mess, a fraud, the book doesn't work, the book will never work, you have no talent, etc. Each book is in some form a miracle in itself. Unless it sucks, I guess. But that's the point: you can't judge yourself.
Whenever you start a new book, the loftiest goals are in place, the grandest of visions. And then, as you write, characters take over, the plot moves in different directions, and as that happens, the original vision, whatever it may have been, grows fuzzy around the edges the book changes into something else. It's still a book, but what kind of book? It's different from the original idea, but it always is. The question is, is it good or is it bad? Unfortunately, unless you have a monstrous ego, it is impossible to be able to know yourself.
And that's the power of reviews. I've been blessed to have received only positive reviews. What does that mean? Not a whole lot, because many people quite kindly will not write negative reviews. The argument is that writing a book is hard enough and there is enough empathy to excuse a book that may not be one's cup of tea (to be kind) and let it slide past unmentioned.
In any case, I'm at that point in the current book where I have no idea if what I'm doing makes any sense, is any good, would entertain a desert island-stranded semi-literate, etc. I finished today's writing and picked up my late lunch. I turned on the computer and on Bill Crider's site (I use it as a portal for other book-related sites) I saw a mention of the just-released "Truth Always Kills" at the Bookgasm site. Just like I found George Kelley's review from Bill's site a few weeks ago, and Bill's own review before that, there it was, posted for the past hour.
It's a good review, by a careful reader. So thank you, Bookgasm, and for the rest of today at least, things look better than they did this morning. Just don't ask how things are going tomorrow. In short, writing books is one helluva head game. But it certainly beats a sharp stick in the eye, and really, what could be better?
Here's the review....
