What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme run by Erin L Funk and Jaime Morrow and is a great way for readers and writers to catch up!
What I'm reading
This week I've been reading the second and third books in the Hex Hall trilogy, and rereading the Skulduggery Pleasant series as I've just recently bought the newest book.
What I'm writing
I've been working on my MG fantasy book, but due to going away over the weekend/a rather ill-advised decision to start another edit of Darkworld Book 3, I've not written as much as I'd have liked to. Plus edits on Darkworld 2 and Beneath the Waves are waiting in the background, meaning I'm probably spending more time worrying about not getting things done than actually getting things done...
What else I've been up to
Well, I hopped on a train to visit my long-distance boyfriend this weekend. :) And received a nice surprise - an early Christmas present in the form of a Nintendo 2DS and Pokemon X! Yep, I can finally play the new games! :D Of course, now I have something else to distract me from NaNo. :P
What inspires me right now
Nice reviews! And all the people supporting me. :)
It's also the first Wednesday of November, which means it's time for The Insecure Writers Support Group, the genius creation of Alex J Cavanaugh!
I've had reason enough for insecurity in the past month! Firstly, my book, Darkness Watching was published on the 10th October, and secondly, I've had a review tour on for the past week. If I've been oddly absent from the interwebs, this is why! I know a lot of people advise you not to read your reviews -and that goes double for the bad ones. But I'm a sucker for self-punishment, apparently - that, and my over-active imagination makes things out to be worse than they actually are, so I figured it'd be better to get it over with! And it wasn't too bad...it just made me incredibly jumpy when one of them popped up. Also, trying to write a tricky book whilst reviews of your other book are appearing is distracting to say the least! So I've been trying - and failing - to avoid going online during writing time.
Needless to say, it hasn't been easy. Reviews can, intentionally or not, cause you to doubt yourself as a writer over the most minor point. I'm happy to be told if anything is lacking in my books BEFORE they're published, and I love getting feedback. But post-publication feedback is a different beast altogether, because once your book's published, it's out of your hands. If a critique partner or beta reader points out something you might want to change about your work, you can change it. But after publishing, it's too late to have that option. Readers' interpretations can differ wildly, and there's not a whole lot you can do about it. What one reader loves, another can detest, and sometimes it's something you'd never have thought about. Even looking at reviews of bestselling books can show wildly differing viewpoints, so it's important not to get too stressed about these things! But it's been tough trying to practice that. I'll try harder! People have said some lovely things about my work, and I'm thinking I might frame my nice reviews to put on the wall. I have no regrets about the tour, but sometimes I could switch off my instinct to despair over any less-than-positive comments. My inner self-critic is active enough already!
I don't think I'd be able to keep myself from looking at the reviews, either. Just try not to take them too seriously, unless of course they're really good ones :)
ReplyDeleteYep - that's the plan! :)
DeleteI imagine reviews are a hard thing to resist checking out. Hearing what people are thinking about your book is probably both exciting, and kind of draining. Good luck with staying focused for NaNo, and getting to your revisions, and playing your games!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's definitely been draining! Thank you :)
DeleteGreat post. I like your idea of cutting out the positive reviews and putting them in your workspace. Like you said, I'm sure mega-bestselling authors have this issue, too.
ReplyDeleteTake pride in the fact that you ARE published, and that enough people recognized your talent to achieve that goal!
Yeah - it's an inevitable part of the process, and I'll definitely try to remember that! :)
DeleteIsn't the Hex Hall series so much fun! Hope you get back to your MG soon. Glad good reviews are lifting you up!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's a great series! Thanks :)
DeleteDoubt your doubts before you doubt your beliefs. =)
ReplyDeleteThere's an audience for everyone, and I really think you just have to find yours. You're writing for them, not for the haters, so yes, focus on what they have to say. They're the reason you in this thing, right? ;)
Posting the good reviews in your workspace is a great idea. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah - I'm thinking I might print them! :)
DeleteMy debut comes out in a few months, so I haven't had the chance to see reviews yet. But I imaging it will be quite distracting.
ReplyDeleteYeah - the best thing to do is either not read them, or if you're like me, skim them and keep in mind the subjectivity of it! :)
DeleteGood luck with your editing and writing!
ReplyDeleteAnd reviews can be hard, especially if you get some that aren't quite as stellar as others. But it does get easier, and they can be helpful to let you know what the readers are getting right in your work.
Thank you! :) I've decided to see what I can learn from my reviews, even the ones that aren't as good!
DeleteI'm certain those reviews would be a distraction! And awesome you got to spend time with your bf! Try not to get too distracted by the Nintendo! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThanks! :)
DeleteI'd like to think I'd totally avoid reviews buuuuuuut something tells me I won't ^^;
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with all those revisions. And hooooraaaaay for early gifts and time with loved ones.
Have a lovely week :D
Yeah, once it's out there, not much we can do to change it! I do try to use reviews to make the next book better though.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alex J.! Good luck with your Nano (and my oh my, aren't you blowing up that word count progress bar!) *Gives my meagre 3K all the shivers*
ReplyDeleteOh I'll be in the same boat soon enough, Emma. I'm just waiting for those bad reviews to seep in, and I havent decided whether or not to read them. I like the idea of learning from them, but gosh darn our egos can be so fragile as artists. That's what scares me. And you're so right, even the most popular books out there have taken beatings.
ReplyDeleteThis is one thing that really frightens me about publishing! and as a book reviewer myself I know just how harsh book reviews can be. I've been trying to come to terms with the reality that I'll get bad reviews regardless of how polished my work is. One way I've discovered that helps is to have a look at really popular books and scope out all their bad reviews. That usually makes me feel better!
ReplyDelete