Thread: How can I finish my story without having criticisms interfere?

In the past I've always returned to my early chapters, because the criticisms sent by people pushed me to start over. On the other hand, though. I want to finish my novel without going back. There have been chapters I never made it to. How can I change this?

Don't ask for criticism...

Write the whole story first, then ask for people to comment. I usually ask for an opinion on the synopsis to make sure the story line is sound and engaging before I give people chapters to look at. I'm going to take "Hunger Games" as an example. If Susane Collins had sent me her first few chapters to look at, without telling me what the whole story was about, I would have told her they were boring and don't really tell much of a story. It isn't until later in the books you realise that they were good for scene setting and establishing the relationship between Gale and the chick.

If you keep going back to review your chapters based on what people think of them out of context, you will never finish your story.

My thrupenny bit.

One of two things - ask for critiques once, revise/edit, then move on to the next chapter. Then when it's all done, get it critiqued again. Or, as above, don't ask for critiques at all (until the book is completed).

But I think the most important thing for you to do is finish the book and then let it sit for at least a month to six weeks. Ignore it exists. Then go back over it as if you were reading someone else's book. Read it out loud. Do a grammar and spellcheck. Do as much self-editing as you possibly can - and be brutal. Then start getting critiques.

I think you also need to recognize that this particular book may be one of those 'practice' books. Rarely is anyone's first (or second or third) book publishable. It doesn't mean the idea is bad, but it takes time and practice to develop the skills needed to do the idea justice. But eventually, if you listen and learn and read and write, you'll come up with a book that stands a chance.

Don't take criticism so hard. It's only helpful. Nothing will ever be viewed as perfect, especially the first time around. A wise saying that I picked up is "The first draft of anything is crap" So your only going to do it over anyway. Take it in stride, and in the end take all of it and make a final project.

Or do as stated above and just don't ask lol. I'm just saying what I'd do

@Shadowwalker this is actually my fourth novel
@Penwillz I actually just got my first three chapters critiqued, and the editor liked it. Yes, there were some issues, but not a lot. I submit in portions, because when I submit the whole novel, it's more expensive. I'm only in college, so I have to have a tight budget. I also avoid editors who charge more than what I can afford.

I would write the whole story first, get to the end, and only then consider showing it to someone. I think the first draft should be the writers secret, then the second draft is open for criticism.

I like to consider the first draft of a story or book exclusively mine. No one sees it until it's fully written and edited to the best of my ability. Only then do I ask for criticism. I'd suggest that you do the same, otherwise you may end up getting too discouraged to finish anything.

Originally Posted by shadowwalker

One of two things - ask for critiques once, revise/edit, then move on to the next chapter. Then when it's all done, get it critiqued again. Or, as above, don't ask for critiques at all (until the book is completed).

That seems to be the most sensible approach to it all, provided your first reader or well-read critic has a sharp eye. The second option, unless you can dart back and forth between sides of the brain, seems to be asking for trouble.

I've mentioned to another person who has posted that you should write what makes you happy and try not to worry about what other people say. Criticisms from others are always a good thing when it comes to writing, and you can never stop them. But if what you are writing feels good to you, keep writing. The only thing I take from critics is spelling and grammar help. If someone suggest I should "say this" or "say that" or change someone's name or even the plot, that's when I draw the line and I don't heed their warnings. I write for fun, not for anyone else.

I only ever ask for critisim if i desperately need some, or if i'm not sure it has appeal. I know it can be hard, but try not to let it get to you, if you aren't finished the critism doesn't mean much yet. Because, after all, when you do finish it the first few chapters may need to be completely changed. At the very least, quality will be different and possibly style as well.

Well, Sunaynaprasad, that's a very tough situation.

I have a new blog, hyphenman.com, where I will discuss that very thing in several posts. (But it won't be for a while yet.)

The answer that's right for you depends on you, among other factors.

The responses that you've gotten so far might work for you, but I can tell you that they wouldn't for me. I am an experienced writer, and I agonize over every sentence. I edit and polish as I go. When I'm done, I don't rewrite; I tweak.

Not many people can do that. They are not that disciplined. They think that editing as you go inhibits the imagination and diverts your attention to the microscopic when you ought to be concentrating on the big picture.

If you don't impose such discipline on yourself -- either directly or through the criticisms of others -- you will end up with crap. Your so-called "second draft" will amount to starting all over again.

The fact that this is your fourth novel doesn't mean much without knowing the quality of the previous three. But you undoubtedly learned a lot from doing them.

I've faced the same thing as you. I did not want to go backwards instead of forward. So I didn't. I've saved the feedback, sometimes making a copy of the chapter and adding the response at the bottom, and then pushed ahead.

Here's the problem, which I have not encountered. If the feedback will force you to alter the plot and therefore affect what comes next, you've got no choice but to fix it before moving forward. If it doesn't, if it just affects details of a scene that can easily be revised, then you can put the response aside.

There's also an even larger issue. I've picked my readers very carefully. In most cases, they are not only very bright people, they are also experienced editors. But I have gotten downright stupid and utterly ludicrous comments from them on occasion. It can be tough to separate the wheat from the chaff. In some cases, in other words, you just have to disregard the comments altogether. And you can't do that in a cavalier fashion. You have to think about their words and astutely evaluate them before you conclude that they're worthless.

Lastly, your budget problem could also be tricky. I once hired a "book doctor" who gave me a super-discounted price. She did a wonderful job. She even agreed to read another chapter for free. The comments she delivered for free were lousy. She missed major points and criticized things that weren't there. So you basically get what you pay for.

With one major exception. If you're in college, you are surrounded by experts who, if you approach them right, will read your chapters for free. (And don't be afraid of professors you've never met before. I've gotten some of my best feedback from total strangers.) Unless you're friends with someone or they owe you a favor, you probably can't go back to the same person again and again. (I broke that rule myself, going back to the same people until they finally begged off, saying they couldn't spare the time.) And professors can certainly appreciate your financial situation. If you offer them slightly more than you can afford -- but still not very much in the commercial world -- they may recognize your plight and waive a fee altogether.

The point is you've got many, many options. Personally, I would keep trying to get feedback, but still push forward as much as I could.

My wife is always the first one to see anything I write. She's very honest with me about how she feels about it, so I never get the 'cheerleader' vibe when she critiques it. What I usually do is have her go over my first draft, write down what she likes, doesn't like, and what she was confused about, then I save her notes for the next draft. On rare occassions she'll pick out a glaring issue that needs to be addressed right away, but for the most part they're things that can be dealt with later. It's pretty efficient, and I'm grateful to have someone I can trust to look at my work before it goes out to other beta readers.