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FILL: When do you submit?
Mar. 11th, 2012 09:58 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
mbarker.livejournal.comOriginal Posting 1 Feb 2012
I've been thinking about that question you raised, Gene, about just how good, final -- perfect? -- Something needs to be before submitting it.
It's a problem that comes up in many areas. In the classes that I teach, I often run into students who think I'm only interested in "the right answer." Since many of the questions I ask have many right answers, or sometimes none, they often struggle. It's hard for them to realize that only in taking a look at some possible answers, and why we might choose them, are we likely to find our answer today.
Anyway, in this case, let's look at a couple of situations. One is just the ordinary process of writing. You get an idea, you put some words around it, you revise that -- this is mostly individual work. At some point, though, you probably want some feedback to find out how it works, what people notice about it, and what they don't notice. Next, you probably want to revise it a bit, and eventually, maybe you push it out to one or more of the publishing channels (self-publishing, traditional publishing, something else?)
In this case, you probably submit it here on WRITERS in an earlier version. It could be very early -- at the idea or rough draft stage, or maybe just the scene -- if you're looking for some early advice or help. Of course, none of us is going to write it for you, but maybe you want to ask if we've seen anything like this idea you had about making Abe Lincoln be a secret vampire hunter or something? (Oddly, I have recently heard about this little genre that apparently is growing, taking various historic entities, mixing historic fact and a healthy dose of fiction to create... George Washington, vampire slayer? Stuff like that.)
Okay. However, it's more likely, you've worked on it to a point where you feel pretty good about it -- it's ready for a workshop review, comments and critique -- so you submit it here so that we can do that. You're looking for feedback, a critique, to help put the final polish on it.
Or maybe you have polished it as far as you can, and you just want someone to take another look at it? That's another good point to submit it here.
So I guess there's three different stages where asking for feedback from the group seems to make sense. Early in the process, just to kick the idea around, or to ask for suggestions about how to avoid that "looking in the mirror" scene, or to ask whether something you're trying works. Later in the process, to get that helpful second opinion, to see what it looks like in someone else's eyes. Towards the end of the process, to get a double check.
The other situation that I wanted to look at was something like 6 x 6, where we're trying to push out a story each week. The point of the exercise really is that it helps loosen up that drive for perfection that most of us fall into from time to time. Because come -- Saturday, right? -- We need to send that story out, whether it's gotten that very last polish or not. And then turn around and start the next one. So we don't have a lot of time to think it over, one more time, maybe change a little bit here, what about... Just shove it out.
One of the real benefits that I see is that often we are our own harshest critics. That story that we're shaking our head over may get a hearty greeting if you just send it out! At the very least, you'll find out which parts people really notice.
Now I do think, especially if we're sending something to the traditional publishers, but even for self-publishing, it's worthwhile to get it in good shape. But even there, we need to be careful to avoid perfection paralysis, where we never send anything out because we're polishing it just one more time. Here again, the 6 x 6 exercise seems like a useful way to combat that tendency, because we're likely to learn that it doesn't really need to be perfect.
Anyway, how good does it need to be to submit it here on the list? Well, I really think that's up to you. Especially for 6 x 6, I wouldn't fret too much. We all know the time is short, and here comes Saturday again! 6 x 6 should be fun, not deadly.
I guess the other thing I keep trying to explain is my notion that we learn from mistakes. The WRITERS list needs to be a safe place to make mistakes. That's what a writing group is really all about, is being able to share our mistakes and learn from them. Of course, this means that posting something with some errors in it is almost better than posting it too smooth. Not that we need to introduce errors, particularly, but that trying to get every single one out is just too hard. In fact, what one person sees as an error may not seem to be an error to others, and we can learn from that, too.
Another benefit that I see to 6 x 6 is that we're likely to maybe try out some smaller ideas, just because we know we've got to get a story out this week. So instead of the blockbuster wonderful idea, maybe we just write something a little bit simpler. I know I get wrapped up in trying to make a great story, and I just need to relax and tell some small stories. Because we are pushing out ideas quickly, it's a little bit easier to try some of the other ideas. And sometimes those turn out pretty well.
Anyway, the short version is, especially for 6 x 6, post it! Submit it even if it's not finished, even if everything hasn't been completely polished, and then go on to the next idea. I think part of the exercise is the pacing, developing an idea fairly quickly, putting it together, then sending it out and letting go of it. Because it's time for the next weekly story.
I hope some of this makes it easier. Sorry this is so long, I'm not sure I have time to tighten it up -- I've got to write a story!
I've been thinking about that question you raised, Gene, about just how good, final -- perfect? -- Something needs to be before submitting it.
It's a problem that comes up in many areas. In the classes that I teach, I often run into students who think I'm only interested in "the right answer." Since many of the questions I ask have many right answers, or sometimes none, they often struggle. It's hard for them to realize that only in taking a look at some possible answers, and why we might choose them, are we likely to find our answer today.
Anyway, in this case, let's look at a couple of situations. One is just the ordinary process of writing. You get an idea, you put some words around it, you revise that -- this is mostly individual work. At some point, though, you probably want some feedback to find out how it works, what people notice about it, and what they don't notice. Next, you probably want to revise it a bit, and eventually, maybe you push it out to one or more of the publishing channels (self-publishing, traditional publishing, something else?)
In this case, you probably submit it here on WRITERS in an earlier version. It could be very early -- at the idea or rough draft stage, or maybe just the scene -- if you're looking for some early advice or help. Of course, none of us is going to write it for you, but maybe you want to ask if we've seen anything like this idea you had about making Abe Lincoln be a secret vampire hunter or something? (Oddly, I have recently heard about this little genre that apparently is growing, taking various historic entities, mixing historic fact and a healthy dose of fiction to create... George Washington, vampire slayer? Stuff like that.)
Okay. However, it's more likely, you've worked on it to a point where you feel pretty good about it -- it's ready for a workshop review, comments and critique -- so you submit it here so that we can do that. You're looking for feedback, a critique, to help put the final polish on it.
Or maybe you have polished it as far as you can, and you just want someone to take another look at it? That's another good point to submit it here.
So I guess there's three different stages where asking for feedback from the group seems to make sense. Early in the process, just to kick the idea around, or to ask for suggestions about how to avoid that "looking in the mirror" scene, or to ask whether something you're trying works. Later in the process, to get that helpful second opinion, to see what it looks like in someone else's eyes. Towards the end of the process, to get a double check.
The other situation that I wanted to look at was something like 6 x 6, where we're trying to push out a story each week. The point of the exercise really is that it helps loosen up that drive for perfection that most of us fall into from time to time. Because come -- Saturday, right? -- We need to send that story out, whether it's gotten that very last polish or not. And then turn around and start the next one. So we don't have a lot of time to think it over, one more time, maybe change a little bit here, what about... Just shove it out.
One of the real benefits that I see is that often we are our own harshest critics. That story that we're shaking our head over may get a hearty greeting if you just send it out! At the very least, you'll find out which parts people really notice.
Now I do think, especially if we're sending something to the traditional publishers, but even for self-publishing, it's worthwhile to get it in good shape. But even there, we need to be careful to avoid perfection paralysis, where we never send anything out because we're polishing it just one more time. Here again, the 6 x 6 exercise seems like a useful way to combat that tendency, because we're likely to learn that it doesn't really need to be perfect.
Anyway, how good does it need to be to submit it here on the list? Well, I really think that's up to you. Especially for 6 x 6, I wouldn't fret too much. We all know the time is short, and here comes Saturday again! 6 x 6 should be fun, not deadly.
I guess the other thing I keep trying to explain is my notion that we learn from mistakes. The WRITERS list needs to be a safe place to make mistakes. That's what a writing group is really all about, is being able to share our mistakes and learn from them. Of course, this means that posting something with some errors in it is almost better than posting it too smooth. Not that we need to introduce errors, particularly, but that trying to get every single one out is just too hard. In fact, what one person sees as an error may not seem to be an error to others, and we can learn from that, too.
Another benefit that I see to 6 x 6 is that we're likely to maybe try out some smaller ideas, just because we know we've got to get a story out this week. So instead of the blockbuster wonderful idea, maybe we just write something a little bit simpler. I know I get wrapped up in trying to make a great story, and I just need to relax and tell some small stories. Because we are pushing out ideas quickly, it's a little bit easier to try some of the other ideas. And sometimes those turn out pretty well.
Anyway, the short version is, especially for 6 x 6, post it! Submit it even if it's not finished, even if everything hasn't been completely polished, and then go on to the next idea. I think part of the exercise is the pacing, developing an idea fairly quickly, putting it together, then sending it out and letting go of it. Because it's time for the next weekly story.
I hope some of this makes it easier. Sorry this is so long, I'm not sure I have time to tighten it up -- I've got to write a story!
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