I am new to the entire write/edit/publish process. It is a terrifying experience to take a story that you have worked hard on and give it to other people with the express purpose of having them tell you what is wrong with it. I question just how much criticism I can take but I also know once i publish that criticism will freely flow. My readers are a diverse group. Basically family, friends and friends of friends. I have three school teachers, an executive for a large corporation, another published writer, and my baby sitter from forty years ago, and an officer in the Army.
To show my complete rookie status I decided on a three weekend deadline and then gave them a deadline that was four weekends. Last week I tried to take this back but the damage could have already been done, people set their schedules and don’t get to things any faster than they need to, it is human nature and all part of the learning process for me.
So far the feedback I have gotten has been generally positive. My Army Officer friend has provided some terribly insightful ideas about how weapon and communication systems work and has pushed me to get it right. I have to say I love that advice, I don’t have this information in my head, I have done quite a bit of reading but we all miss details, and it isn’t that hard to recognize the what he is saying. I especially liked a comment where he suggested I had implemented a flying guillotine. Talk about great imagery.
I have been spending my time writing the next story, a short. Really I have been impatiently bothering my poor sister because I have a lot of pent up nervous energy. The wait, however, is about to be done. Reading should be complete by the end of this weekend and I will be able to start the process of integrating the comments and fixes that my friends have been so generous to help me find.
