Critique partners--A Look Into A Creative Process

Recently, I've become a critique partner advocate!  There is nothing like a second or third fresh mind looking at your WIP.  

Refining your own manuscript with the aid of an outside source can give depth into your story, characters and overall meaning of what you want to say.  

Also, critiquing work gives me the chance to see my own work in a different light.  Looking at something new to critique gives me inspiration.  My fellow writers, weather they are just beginning or not, give me the awe inspiring feeling because I know what they are going through. 

 

I think the best thing about critique is not the learning involved on both sides but being a part of the process of a good story.  It takes more than one person to build a novel.  

I definitely agree with what Neil Gaiman said in "American Gods" -- you don't ever learn how to write a novel.  You learn how to write the novel your writing.  

Such words to live by and learn from.  Never stop learning.  Never stop being amazed by other people's insights.  Never stop the creative process or admiring it.

The Number One Reason Your Guy Loves You

The Crab Nebula

Surely there's more than one reason your guy loves you.  It could be because when he's with you he feels:

Loved

Cherished

Important

Or maybe it's more complicated than that.  It could be because you are the one who witnesses his life.  You give him more than just what he needs but what he wants.  

A simple man might say, "I love her because she's an angel in the kitchen and a whore in bed."

I was told that I was loved because:

We have a good time together.

We can talk about anything and I don't take offense.

I accept his flaws.

In a nutshell the number one reason why my guy loves me is because...

...I understand him.  At least to a degree.

Men are simple and yet I find them fascinating because simple can be as complicated as you make it.  Meaning, I never find an end to what is "simple".  Just because you think you understand someone doesn't mean you know them.  

Endeavor to understand them but don't expect to fully understand them.  Why?  Because unless you know yourself completely, then don't expect to understand another person or have them understand you.  Trying to understand another person is like trying to understand the universe.  It's fun trying because there is no end. 

Hero For A Day

Where I work, the place is not just an office--it's a wolf pack.  Our fearless leader looks like a wolf, acts like a wolf and shreds competition like a wolf.  

We have our alpha female that can sell you ice in a tundra.  We have the sometimes moody but always helpful babysitter that will sit on your ass if you annoy her.  The jumpy, submissive that you can always talk to and let your guard down.  The happy go lucky go-to-guy that likes to play jokes.  All the little pupplings clamoring potential clients for a morsel with their sales proposals.  And then there's my Nemesis.

I fondly call him my Nemesis for a specific reason, but that is a different story.  My Nemesis comes up with one liners that you can't pull back from and they are why I adore him so much.  He's like that kitten on the left asking for his fee for his termination services.  My Nemesis is gruff, bored most the time, intelligent, mysterious because he never extends himself and our head IT guy.  He's kinda like a bemused, bored king able to make your day or make you want to die.  He reminds me of Jamie Lannister from Game of Thrones if that helps you a bit.    

He was the one the one who called me a tool by saying: "When you're a hammer, every problem looks like a nail."

His latest gem: 

"According to recently-implemented protocol, the original proposal has been shredded in dramatic fashion."

I could not help the smile or the amusement at his chiding of one those clamoring pupplets about his proposal.  This is why you don't want to piss off your IT guy.  They have more wit and candor than you can come back with.

I'm Ethical Because I'm a Greedy Capitalist

Of the seven sins greed might be the most hated of all.  Balancing these sins out Pride vs. Modesty, Lust vs. Chasity, Greed vs. Ethics but people tend to swing the needle all the way to the other side.  It becomes I'm not Prideful I'm Insecure.  I'm not Lustful I'm Celibate.  I'm not Greedy I'm...interesting that I can't find an all encompassing word for "giving everything away".  (Help me with that if you know one)

 

But wait...there's this guy you might have heard of, Greg Smith.  He's the one that publicly announced he finally noticed Goldman and Sach's was unethical in it's business dealings.  In his article he explained that when you don't have ethics, you don't have a business.  I agree.  Short term greed might get you money, but it won't get you wealth. 

 

The way success works in business is a good rapport with customers.  Customers give you money.  Treat your customers poorly, try to pull the wool over their eyes, grab their stash and run then you're not going to have a business for long, as Mr. Smith points out.  

Ethics are, in essence, necessary for sustained success.  Perhaps you've seen executives get away with it.  But my first reaction when I see businesses doing shady things is to not do business with them.  You don't trust them and the money flows away from them. 

 

"But everybody's doing it!"

 

No.  I refuse to believe there are no options.  I've found banks that never laid a finger on "junk loans".  I've work with business owners doing the right thing.  I have writers warning me not to cross a non-disclosure clause "because it would be wrong."  "Everybody's doing it"--is not the best excuse I've heard, just the most common.  If one can justify dumping morals to the way side then it's a life that hasn't been self-examined. 

 

Greg Smith's article points to one direction and that's ethics=success.  No matter how many stories you hear about bankers, traders or executives behaving badly, I'll always believe in ethics.  So if I genuinely care about my customers and their wants, if I seem more preoccupied with how I can help my fellow co-workers, or if I walk out on a deal that makes me uncomfortable because I don't feel it's right, then attest my ethics to my greed. 

The War Against E-books

Article titles reveal the vibe traditional-publishing feels about self-published authors and vice-verse.  You might think traditional-publishing are targeting E-Books, but really they are targeting Amazon and independent authors.  Also, the monkey flinging is just as rampant against traditional-publishing.  Here are some headlines I've seen lately;

"Is traditional Publishing Dead?", "Amazon A Threat To Society", this last one; "Staying Relevant Biggest Challenge to Publishers, Not E-Books" made me realize, yes, traditional publishing are launching nukes.  

If we can't have it no one will.  Yet this statement made by Marcus Leaver proves to me how far gone the higher ups have strayed from being relevant.  Here's a clue--E-Books ARE relevant.  Amazon reports 75% of their books sold are E-Books.  Amazon also has the lead as a reseller of books.  (Notice the period of that last statement--it's for real)

 

War is defined in the Stephanisms dictionary as "You want what I have and am going to take it from you."

 

That's what traditional publishing is saying.  the music industry tried the same thing.  Napster is killing us!  Stop buying pirated music!

 

Stop making me pay $15 for one song, then we'll talk. 

 

I've seen through the shrugs of authors saying, "that's the way publishing is."  One writer I know can't write what she wants to write because she's under contract to write what the marketers want her to write.  

Yes, she, her agent, her publisher all want to make money but this goes against what the same people tell her to write whats inside.  So, you want me to write sincerely, but you want me to write what you want me to write?  Also, one writer can crank out 3 books, 3 GREAT BOOKS, a year but her publisher won't let her--why?  Because of her contract.  One writer is not allowed to enter into a certain genre because it would be too competitive against another author they have.  

What buyers can't buy both?  Now I come to find agents put in a clause with writers saying if Agent#1 can't find a home for your book they make you shelf it.  If you part with that agent and find another that can sell your book Agent#2 AND Agent#1 get their 15% (which is 30% not given to the writer).  Does that seem right to you? "That's the way publishing is."  -- "That's the way that government is." -- "That's the way the DMV rolls." -- "That's the way..." No.  I point at that and say UNETHICAL.

 

Yes you worked your tushy off trying to sell that book but your going piss and moan and cry when someone better can sell the book?  Does the crappy sales guy that just couldn't help you get commission from the sales guy that did know what you were talking about, saved you hours looking and direct you to the product?  No.  Crappy sales guy gets fired. 

 

No wonder E-Books are kicking your ass.  Yes, I agree, there are a lot of crappy E-Books out there but still they are kicking your ass!  So instead of getting up, bringing your game to the customers the way they want it your trying to pull technology back?  Really?  

The Big 6 have the power to rise above it a kick the m***er-living-s**t out of E-Books and all your doing is crying on the pavement?  The way I see it traditional-publishing is being a doormat, an osterige, an armadillo, or my favorite--a pill bug. 

 

Despite my ramblings I want traditional publishing to rise above a be successful.  I'm one of those that nods my head and say, "I can see that" when I find out something wacky about publishing.  

But the fact that they are waging war against the entrepreneurs that are making leaps and bounds by technology is looking more like suicide.  Traditional publishing takes offense that technology is bringing more readers in and by passing them to get to what they want because it's convenient?  Is this what I'm seeing?  

I saw a report that 50% of books are impulse buys.  So why not take the information and apply it.  Your being dumb-asses and your forcing everyone to choose sides and really if you want to see the future, look at the music industry, look at the Motion picture writer's strike.  The future is a repeat of the past if you don't learn from it.