Wonderful Critiques

I think I'm going to discuss readers a bit this week. Every writers wants them, every writers needs them, if you don't have them now, you soon will. I want to talk about readers that help you along your writing path.

We get different types of reviews/critiques/edits (whatever you want to call it). Some are gushy (full of praise), some are mean, some are honest, some are silly. Today I want to talk about the gushy ones, the nicest ones to receive. They can be about a book not published or a book published. They are the ones that keep you writing.

I think we should keep the gushy ones in a place where we can look at them every once and awhile. Especially when we're feeling down on our writing.

Here are some reviews I've received over the years... the ones that have touched my heart. The ones that made me feel my writing was important.

"There is so much great insight in this novel, and it is a really important story you are telling on a lot of levels... but that may be the deepest, most important level of all."

"I am going to be lost when the story ends... it is so good."

"Your book has given me a reason to stop and think about several issues, some private and that makes your story special.

"Congratulations on writing this poignant and wholly original novel. I won’t forget it for a long time."

"Oh my goodness! This is the most beautiful thing I have ever read. Ann, you are truly gifted. I started to read it to myself, then I read the whole poem out loud and it gave a whole different feeling and meaning. Before I finished there were tears in my eyes, those feelings you put in your words came through loud and clear. You are a very gifted writer and I don't know when I have ever enjoyed reading anything more. "

I don't post these to brag but I think I wanted to leave these here to remind myself why I write. Why I need to keep trying harder to improve my writing.

Tomorrow I'm going to post some more good ones, but not gushy. The ones I post tomorrow will be honest and helpful to the writer.

What are some of the most memorable reviews you've ever received?

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Now to some other important matters:

First of all, I want to thank the wonderful people at Renee's Read for award me a wonderful book - THE MOON LOOKED DOWN . I can't wait to read it and review it.

Also, I wanted to ask my readers a question...I cut out the word verification on my comments, does it make a difference to my readers. Does it make you want to comment more? Does it make it easier to comment?

Book Review: A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George

Genre: Psychological Suspense Mystery

How I read it: I own it.

What attracted me to the book: I admit, I saw the Lynley mysteries on TV before I actually picked up one of her books. But, when I read this book, I wanted to read all of them.

What it worth the money? Yes.

Who should read this book: This is another psychological suspense. I don't know why I pick some of the most gory books but this one is another. She doesn't describe in detail the gore but the scenes are disturbing nonetheless.

Summary (from amazon): Roberta Teys, a silent, obese adolescent, is accused of killing her church-going father with an axe. The detectives sent by Scotland Yard to investigate are a mismatched pair. Inspector Thomas Lynley is smooth, attractive and utterly upper-class; "stubby, sturdy" detective-sergeant Barbara Havers, conscious of her plain appearance and lower-class origins, considers Lynley a "sodding little fop." Thrown together, they weigh the general conviction in the village that Roberta could not possibly have wielded the bloody axe against mounting evidence that damns the now catatonic girl. In sifting slowly through the ashes of the past, the detectives find enough horrific skeletons in every closet to lead them to a climax unexpectedly loaded with fire and fury. While Lynley seems rather bland despite emotion roiling beneath the surface, it is Havers' painful secrets and driving rage that encourage one to overlook decidedly uneven passages in this essentially intriguing psychological thriller.

My thoughts: When I write, I don't add a lot of details and descriptions, in the first of this series, neither does George. I can't say that about her future books. I found she became more and more wordy as the years went on. But, let's not focus on her later novels but her first.

What do I love best about this mystery? The character Havers. She's such a wonderful off-the-wall character. She's the opposite of her partner. Lynley's a handsome, titled detective and she's poor, not good-looking and kinda mouthy.

I have to say, the story is wonderful, Haver's is wonderful but some of the characters (Helen and Deborah) I found annoying. Perhaps it's because we want the two main characters to get on more but Lynley seems so distracted by those in her personal life.


Bottom Line: If you haven't read a George novel yet, start with this one.

Rating:

Shakespeare's Sonnet Sunday - Sonnet 13

O! that you were your self; but, love, you are
No longer yours, than you your self here live:
Against this coming end you should prepare,
And your sweet semblance to some other give:
So should that beauty which you hold in lease
Find no determination; then you were
Yourself again, after yourself's decease,
When your sweet issue your sweet form should bear.
Who lets so fair a house fall to decay,
Which husbandry in honour might uphold,
Against the stormy gusts of winter's day
And barren rage of death's eternal cold?
O! none but unthrifts. Dear my love, you know,
You had a father: let your son say so.

1. O! I wish you could stay as you are; but, love, you are
2. only going to be here for as long as your life.
3. You should prepare yourself for death,
4. Give your beauty to your children:
5. So that your beauty which you only have for a few years
6. will not end; but there will be a copy
7. of yourself, after your dead,
8. When your child, who likes like you, is born.
9. Who lets a beautiful house (lineage or family) fall to pieces,
10. when you could, as an honorable husband, prevent,
11. old age
12. and death stopping the family line?
13. Only the irresponsible husbands, that's who. Dear my love, you know,
14. You had a father: let your son say he's had one too. Have children already.

Saturday's Writing Quotation Examination

Ink surrounds me all the time

On my bed sheets, recorded in rhyme

Quills ever scribbling in my head

Sometimes damnit I forget what they said.

Ink has settled into my fingerprints

But to keep the words I fear to rinse...

~Terri Guillemets

I found this poem and thought it a great writing quote for the week. As writers, our creativity is strong and powerful. We try to capture all the wonderful words and lines and stories that enter and sadly, exit our minds. I find that my best lines come to me in the dark as I am about to sleep. I can never remember the exact brilliance when the sun shines the next morning.

Does that happen to you?

Writing journal: Do I hear an echo in here?

Today I was sitting the car with my husband and he said, 'I'm glad you're getting on with -----(name omitted). The two of you seem to be good friends.'

I replied, 'Yes, it would seem that way, wouldn't it.' I met this person about a month ago and she likes me, she really does. However, for me, to spend time with anyone (and that includes those I view as friends) is a real trial for me. It drains me. Even sitting with my friends at a coffee shop, I'm counting down the minutes until I can be alone. I will have dinner parties (mostly to appease my family) and take mental breaks in the toilet.

The thing is, most people would describe me as confident, funny, loyal, and smart. (They probably wouldn't describe me as humble though.) I am liked by many. I would say it's because I'm a listener and very confident - qualities that most people would like to have. Over the past twenty years, I have learned to cope in public. I have learned the proper things to do and say to appear friendly and nice all the while dying inside for solitude.

I enjoy people... from afar. I never seek friendship. Friends I have had as a child, I no longer see or speak with. High school friends, the same. If I knew you and I met you on the street, I probably wouldn't approach you but if you approached me, I would be extremely polite and friendly. I would agree with you that yes, we should keep in contact but I don't think I would be the first to make contact.

In fact, I would probably admit that I'm a terrible friend. I will never call you or email you without an important reason and when I do, I will never chit chat with you. I will never ask you to coffee or to go anywhere with me  - especially shopping malls.

Why am I saying these things?

Well, it was the comments on the post I wrote yesterday. As sad as I may seem from what I wrote above, I would suspect there are many that feel the same. But, I enjoyed the way some described what I felt.

Jim Murdoch from the blog The Truth About Lies made this comment yesterday:

...I’m not shy and I have no problems talking in public (yes, I get nervous but so does everyone); I just have no real interest in promoting me – the writing, yes but me, no. I recognise that I have to present something publicly which is why the website is so good because I can exercise a fairly high degree of control over what goes up. I find as long as you open up a bit then people leave you be. It’s those who don’t have a real name, won’t provide a photo and tell us nothing about themselves that make us wonder, What are they hiding? The answer is probably: nothing. Let’s face it, most of us lead boring lives, nothing’s ever happened to us that’s not happened to hundreds of other people and the only thing we have going for us is a facility with words. And aren’t there hundreds of people who have that gift too?

The thing is we can’t have our cake and eat it. Recluses don’t get famous for anything bar being reclusive. What’s good about the Internet is that you can attempt to find a balance between the private-you and the public-you, one that everyone can live with. You’re still never going to be famous but I’m not sure I would like being famous. I want to be read. I am being read. By hundreds of people. And that’s all it’s about. When I think about all the poems I published back in the seventies and eighties I wonder how many people ever read them. I bet dozens at best. This is better. It’s not fame but it is better.

Jim has it right. I don't want to be famous, I want to be read. That's why I write. I find blogging (also, Twitter, Facebook, and my online writers group - The Next Big Writer) the perfect combination of  publicity without the... publicity. People can read my writing, comment on my writing, ask me questions about my writing and I can still be in solitude. Ahhh... silence.

Jaydee Morgan sums it up well:

I definitely could live the life of a reclusive writer - and just use the Net to stay in contact/promote/etc.
My day job forces me to be public and social. Given the choice though, I'd rather spend most of my time alone ...

 Please, understand me. I'm a really nice person. I'm It's just nicer when I'm alone.

Picture source: here

I wish to stay in the closet... with a flashlight... and some cookies.

I was reading Karen's site (Coming Down the Mountain) about reclusive writers this morning and it got me thinking. (Not that the other blogs don't make me think or that I don't think in general...) Anyway, I think of myself as quite a reclusive writer. I tell no one I write. I don't use my real name. One photo of me and I had to skew it in order to put it on the site.

Then I thought about my books.

What am I willing to do to promote my book? I know I could never stand in front of people and read my book ...but, I could record my book and post it online. I don't know if I could go to a library - not that there will be many left in the future - but I could enter a forum to discuss my books online. I don't think I could do a book signing but I will be willing to sign copies and send them out.

I have never met any famous authors in person. Jane Austen, Brontes, Agatha Christie are all dead. Val McDermid, Elizabeth George and many other British authors live too far away to visit. I still love their books.

Val Mcdermid has a website and she regularly comments there.
Elizabeth George has a website too.
In fact, I visit many sites and blogs belonging to published authors.

I have a website. You're reading it. So perhaps, I'm not reclusive after all.  Are any of you reclusive writers?

Picture source: here