It is the monthly meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Here is its mandate:
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Oh I love the fall! My whole being leaps into excitement. I know the news is dire and life drear, but I have fresh notebook head and will stay here as long as possible. What? You don't know what fnh is? Well...it has to do with 13 years of schooling being hard-wired into our heads in the formative years. This year I will not fall behind. This year I will not ruin my binders with stickers. This year I will do my homework when I get it. You get the notion. And new pens. And your first day outfit (my favourite - a brown plaid kilt with a creamy Aran knit sweater - grade 11). It is fresh start, do-over, endless supply of "lives" in the big game of life.
And how does this relate to writing? Uh...well only in so much as it affects every part of my life I guess. I'm doing the finishing touches on my submission package for Crooked Knife - my goal is to send out the first lot on Saturday - because it would be my mother's birthday and that seems lucky. I'm working on a piece for the blog the editor I hired puts out on the subject of place as character. I'm not letting myself start a new quilt until all of that is done. Focusing! I will focus this year in the school of life.
Here is this month's question:
September 2 question - If you could choose one author, living or dead, to be your beta partner, who would it be and why?
Yikes! If it is someone I adore I'd be so freaked out at them reading my raw novel, and if it is someone I don't adore why would I choose them? Okay. Be brave. Stand on the side of your work with love and respect. For my current project - a mystery - I will choose Reginald Hill - beloved writer of the mysteries that include Andrew Dalziel, Peter Pascoe and Edgar Wield. The completely misogynist hard-drinking Dalziel is one of my favourite protagonists. Hill would be a good beta reader for me because he suffered from people trying to get him to apply political correctness constraints on his characters. And I'm sure I will too. Also, I think my mystery has a fair share of humour though the topic is bleak - and he had a great light touch with that as well.
For my poetry collection, Red Rover, I would like my friend Sue Goyette to be my beta reader. I haven't asked her yet as she is deep into finishing her master's thesis, but I may at some point. Her poetry is utterly transcendent and I've had her as a teacher so I know she gives great constructive help.
I feel that I do want to give a shout-out to my REAL CURRENT BETA READERS however. First is my life-partner, Ron, known in blog land as 'the fella'. He is a wonderful beta-reader - such a persnickety reader which is what I want. He is both my beta-reader and copy-editor. Second is my long time writing pal, Gwen, who is sitting across from me as I write this - like she is every Wednesday that is possible. We read each other's work as a matter of course, and I will be reading a short story she's sending out right after I finish this. She is such a good writer and very generous and helpful as a teacher as well. She has a book you can find on Amazon called Facing the Other Way, a collection of linked short stories. I highly recommend you get it.
Okay - I must get to work now. Focus. Clean notebook and all.
Hope you are all well and surviving whatever situation you find yourself in.
5 comments:
I totally love that you chose a politically-incorrect writer as your would-be beta partner. I understand you'd feel insecure around him, but that's okay. Good luck on your writing projects!
I love your new school year mindset. I wish I could adopt it, but I loved/love summer. I hated when school started back, until I went to college and then that all turned upside down. That said, fall is beautiful, but the sun doesn't climb over the trees and right now I'm chilly, and I just feel like the freedom of summer disappears so very quickly...
Wishing you all good luck with your submissions!
A shout-out to your real beta readers is lovely. They are so valuable. <3
Oh, good idea! I hadn't thought of considering poets... I wonder who I would like as a beta reader for poetry...
I really like your choices of beta partners, Jan. And that's a really interesting question, too! It's exciting that you're that close to your submission package being complete - I wish you well with it. And as for fall? I've always liked it best of all the seasons. The crispness in the air, the shades of red and gold, everything!
Post a Comment