I just sent in ten pages of my Young Adult Novel to my instructor to be critiqued. I’ve been taking a year-long course from her at the Hugo House and I’m looking forward to her critique. My book is slowly coming together and with time it will get there, and I truly respect her input.
Though it’s not alway easy to hear input on your work, it can help to move it forward. And depending on where the input comes from, you may need to just nod and smile and in the end, do your own thing. For me when advice came from my 15-year-old son, I tried not to be defensive (he didn’t give his opinion thoughtfully, he just gave it) but I listened, because he is my audience. “Why wouldn’t the cars work? Wouldn’t they just barricade themselves in the house and live there? That’s what I would do. What about a gun? Why not a bike?” He had a lot of ideas and opinions, both good and bad, and so I did my best to take it all in. In fact, because of his input I now have some new ideas that I think will make the story better.
Be open to input, but in the end go with your gut, to make your story come alive.
WRITING PROMPT: Garth set my first chapter down and laughed out loud…
