Tuesday, February 8, 2011

I've gone and taken the plunge...

I have told many of you before that I have killed my internal editor in the first draft. It was a wonderful time. I could write with wild abandon and just not care about the quality, or gaping plot holes. Or characterization issues.

Or whether my story makes sense to anyone else.

Except, like the Mummy, the bastard just won't stay dead.

He came back with a vengeance that would make Imhotep himself proud.

Remember that sand storm scene?

That as about the scale of the force of the self doubt that hit me last week. It ground my writing to a complete halt.

Fact is, I get scared terrified of the scope of the story that I'm telling.

Wouldn't you?

I have five Main Characters, currently three stories (of which one remains unmentioned but vital), and hundreds of strings that have to remain firmly in my grasp until the end of the fourth (perhaps fifth) book.

It's so bad that I can't even put down a specific plan for what's going on. I have to leave myself general reminders.

Oh yes... I forgot to mention that the story has to make sense to someone with no concept of the back story that stretches back more than a few thousand years...

Not to mention....

I think you get the point and I'm winding myself up again. Suffice it to say that never once have I referred to the story as the Beast lightly.

Anyway... The realization also hit me that I had no idea. As in, I have no idea if my story even made any sense. I had spent so much time working on it that I lost any objectivity that I might have had.

So, I have officially started my search for crit partners... I have even e-mailed a few people who are looking as well. Still, I think that it will be most unfair to go looking elsewhere only when I have you guys.

Therefore, I ask: Any of you looking for a crit partner? Willing to step into my scary convoluted mind? If so, please contact me at mishagericke@gmail.com (mishagericke(AT)gmail(DOT)com).

25 comments:

  1. Confession: I think the Mummy is HOT! Something about him! Sorry, I know that was soooo random! Also, try absolutewrite.com/forums for a crit partner!

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  2. Haha I think he was hot then too, Samantha.

    As a point of interest, his real name is Arnold Vosloo and he is South African.

    ^_^

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  3. Go to this site, you'll find what you want there.

    Between Fact and Fiction
    The Crit Partner Classifieds - Today is the day! The emails have been received—over one hundred of them, actually. The organizing has been done. The matches are ready to be made!

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  4. Carole, I actually have gone there and contacted some possible CP's. I hope that it works out well.

    :-)

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  5. Good luck on your search for a crit partner. I'm not at that stage yet with my work, so it will be interesting to read how you go about finding one and how the experience works out for you.

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  6. Good luck, Misha! Getting good readers who will give you the kind of feedback you need--in the way you need it--is essential to getting your work ready for agent and editor eyes.

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  7. I did this for NaNoWriMo and it drove me crazy. I don't mind running sprints, but I can't let the story get too out of control. I can empathize. :)

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  8. Good luck finding just the right crit partner.

    Not strictly relevant, but I was working in a hotel where the cast and crew of Mummy 2 were staying while they were filming.

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  9. Oh wow, The Beast just became a bit more beastly looking. How you've managed to wrangle that in your mind is amazing!

    Good luck on the search. ;P

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  10. i already have a couple cp's but if you can't find one through your other venues, i would suggest nathan bransford's forums- that's where i found one of my excellent partners! i hope you'll keep us informed about your finding-a-partner progress, and i'll keep my ear open for other bloggers looking for cp's!

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  11. I soooo hear your plea. I cut to the chase and hired a freelance editor. You can find them through Writer's Digest or on-line.

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  12. I thought I'd conquered my IE, too, but the last few weeks, he's been beating me about the face, head, and manuscript. I only wish I were to the point of needing a CP. Good luck on your search! You might try Critique Circle. I've received some great feedback in the past.

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  13. Breathe in and out. Remember there is NOTHING that can't be fixed in revision. Plus you can't fix what you haven't written. I'm to new to be a valuable critter but I hope you find a great one or two or three.

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  14. I would love to be your crit partner however, I'm not a fantasy reader and so I wouldn't be much help. I do understand the difficulty shutting off the internal editor however.

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  15. I bet it does get a bit messy when you've been working on a book for so long and then have no idea if it will make sense to anyone else. Hopefully it's not as bad as you think it is!

    I don't think I'd mind being a critique partner, so I'll send you an email :)

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  16. I would love to critique it...because then I would get to read it!

    Nikki

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  17. All the best, Misha! Your MS sounds very interesting! :)

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  18. Hi Misha. Your project sounds amazing! I have an ambitious project in outline form, which is the first of a trilogy, but it's on hold while I work on a couple of things that are more progressed and somewhat lighter.

    Anyway, this is the first time I've visited your blog so I came by to say hello. It's good to meet you.

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  19. I'd be happy to be your crit partner. I read and write fantasy. Of course, if you would prefer to get multiple perspectives and don't mind getting it critiqued one chapter per week at a time, there's www.critiquecircle.com . They're a really good bunch over there.

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  20. I will eventually be looking for a crit partner, but not yet--right now I have some other reading obligations, getting prepared for A to Z, and looking for a job. Full schedule these days.
    Good luck to you and I'm sure there are many other writers out there looking as well.


    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  21. The beast! Love it! Sounds like your project is wonderfully complex -- and no, this isn't it a bad thing at all. Just think how amazing and EPIC it will be when you're done!

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  22. Thanks Aine. I will definitely post more on the topic as time goes on. I.e. As soon as I have settled into a schedule. :-)

    I agree with you there. It is important to get more eyes on the work before submitting. Thanks for dropping by. :-)

    I know what you mean, Ciara. Unfortunately I either crawl or sprint when I write, which complicates things a lot. :-)

    Thanks, Blogger. BTW I love random facts like that. :-D

    Thanks lots, Devin. ;-)

    Thanks for the tip, Amanda, if none of my offers to CP pan out, the forums will be my next stop. :-)

    Nice idea Em.I will eventually cut to the same chase, so thanks for telling me where to look. :-)

    Haha VR I your IE sounds like mine. Good luck with your WiP. :-)

    Michael, crit partners read your work in progress and give critique on where you can improve. You can also, for example, say what you need for them to look out for (e.g. sloppy dialogue) and they will help you with that. Although the last bit falls more in the realm of Beta readers. I hope my explanation helped. :-)

    That is a good point you made, L.A. I really should get back to taming the beast one word at a time. :-)

    Thanks Clarissa. Maybe one day we will get a reason to work together. (I have this story...);-)

    Thanks Christena. :-)

    Hahaha Nikki, I might need beta readers one day... ;-)

    Thanks Len!

    Hi Tony! I'm glad you like the sound of my project. I also have some simpler works that I write when I need a break from the Beast. Thanks for dropping by. :-)

    Thanks for the link Shannon. If you need a CP, please contact me and we can talk. :-)

    Good luck with juggling that schedule, Lee! And yes, I've had more than a few people contact me so far. :-)

    Thanks Jennifer, that thought of the finished work is what keeps me going... :-)

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  23. Best of luck in finding a critique partner. That can be a daunting (and nerve wracking) search. Hold out for the one that feels like the right fit, though. I know you'll find the best partner!

    Oh wow does this sound like what I'm facing. A daunting challenge to tie so many lives and plots and twists into more than 3 books and do so WITHOUT the consult of a backstory dictionary for readers to reference. I'm with you.

    Soldier on!
    Jen

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