Congratulations on your 6-month anniversary! I'm so close to finishing reading Written. Every time I think I can sit down and focus on it, more things have to be fixed around my place. It's like whack-a-mole. Completely ridiculous! I'm looking forward to writing my review on Goodreads and my website.
You guys -- and another writer I've known for decades and follow on Twitter -- inspired me to start my own substack newsletter. It's on the mind, from the perspective of philosophy, theology, physics, psychology, and neuroscience. Mind Explorer: https://shireenjeejeebhoy.substack.com/
I'm still learning my way around this place. After all, it only took me all these months to figure out I can leave comments here and how to do so. :D
Shireen - it's so lovely to see you here. Thank you for reading and for leaving a comment. There is so much great stuff on Substack - you're in good company. I can't wait to see where Mind Explorer takes you.
Thanks Chris. I'm on your waiting list for the RESET. I'm not sure this is what I want, but will check it out when it becomes available. What I am really looking for is a mentor. I'm finding writing partners are pretty unreliable in terms of having busy lives themselves. I thought perhaps paying someone would be the only solution for me. Jury's out as of yet.
Great, thanks Rose. Check out what our friends offer at The London Writers' Salon - I think the accountability aspect might help. Also, they offer more of a community which you might be able to ask about a mentor. https://londonwriterssalon.com/ Hope this helps :)
Thanks Chris. I am not sure about the whole thing. I have just been on a Zoom with 2 beta readers, each of us going over our first 10 pages, and they think I should rip out half of my first chapter. I have to agree with them, but the editor I sent it to thought the whole thing was great, just as it was. I guess I am just really, really tired of various people's opinions, reading the same text over and over and over. Of people who change words for the sake of changing them, or make comments without anything helpful that makes you see what they think is wrong. Or how their "improvements" are improvements at all, or if I just don't get it. Glad you didn't have to do 11 edits start to finish. Must be a lot easier with a partner.
The thing to take from this Rose is that the people are giving you their opinion - not an answer because there isn't one. There's no right and wrong. You need a north star. Some people's opinion will be more expert/valid than others - you just need to work out whose opinion you rate and whose (well meaning) opinion you don't. We had many beta readers but much of the very welcome advice was conflicting - that's the creative process. Your judgement is what matters and you need to be open to feedback - but not always action it. Steer a course between and try not to be knocked off course. Not easy I know...
You rewrote the book 11 times? I tell you, quite honestly, there is no way on God's Green Earth I could stand doing that. Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a writer if it is this much misery. I haven't rewritten my memoir anywhere near that many times, and I'm sick of it.
Well, not from start to finish 11 times. Edited it that many times with feedback yes. Sorry - didn't mean this to dishearten you. There are no rules to writing and it doesn't mean that every book needs that level of rewriting either. Our early drafts were BAD! Yours might be far better :) The only way you'll know is to keep going. It doesn't have to be miserable and writing it wasn't - more like a puzzle we needed to solve. Everyone is cut out to be a writer Rose and the fact that you are writing a memoir means you are one. Not saying it's easy but it's worth doing.
For sure Chris. I wasn't thinking of LWS as a "writing group" as such. I was referring to those awkward instances where you all sit around and wait for some windbag to give up the floor! Cheers, Rose
Hi Chris. I am going to see what Jericho Writers website has that might be of help. But I must tell you that one of the major things I've learned from a webinar that you and Bec did, was that not all writers like a writer's group! It seems that's all I hear, "join a writer's group, join a writer's group!" I think it is not a one-size-fits-all. A lot of the groups I've been in have had an "attention hog" who sucked up most of the time allotted. So, it is encouraging to know that it's OK to give them a miss. I have seen London Writers Salon as well, so thanks for that info too. Cheers, Rose
Hi Rose - sorry for the delay in answering. We don't really offer this service I'm afraid. What might be helpful is to check out our RESET programme? I hope that's of some help. https://prolifiko.com/writing-reset-course/
Congratulations on your 6-month anniversary! I'm so close to finishing reading Written. Every time I think I can sit down and focus on it, more things have to be fixed around my place. It's like whack-a-mole. Completely ridiculous! I'm looking forward to writing my review on Goodreads and my website.
You guys -- and another writer I've known for decades and follow on Twitter -- inspired me to start my own substack newsletter. It's on the mind, from the perspective of philosophy, theology, physics, psychology, and neuroscience. Mind Explorer: https://shireenjeejeebhoy.substack.com/
I'm still learning my way around this place. After all, it only took me all these months to figure out I can leave comments here and how to do so. :D
Shireen - it's so lovely to see you here. Thank you for reading and for leaving a comment. There is so much great stuff on Substack - you're in good company. I can't wait to see where Mind Explorer takes you.
Thanks Chris. I'm on your waiting list for the RESET. I'm not sure this is what I want, but will check it out when it becomes available. What I am really looking for is a mentor. I'm finding writing partners are pretty unreliable in terms of having busy lives themselves. I thought perhaps paying someone would be the only solution for me. Jury's out as of yet.
Great, thanks Rose. Check out what our friends offer at The London Writers' Salon - I think the accountability aspect might help. Also, they offer more of a community which you might be able to ask about a mentor. https://londonwriterssalon.com/ Hope this helps :)
Congratulations, guys. You are a force! Here’s to the next anniversary :)
Thank you Nat and for your support over the years ❤️❤️❤️
Absolutely! And likewise ♥️
Thanks Chris. Good advice.
Good luck, let us know how it goes we'd love to know :)
Thanks Chris. I am not sure about the whole thing. I have just been on a Zoom with 2 beta readers, each of us going over our first 10 pages, and they think I should rip out half of my first chapter. I have to agree with them, but the editor I sent it to thought the whole thing was great, just as it was. I guess I am just really, really tired of various people's opinions, reading the same text over and over and over. Of people who change words for the sake of changing them, or make comments without anything helpful that makes you see what they think is wrong. Or how their "improvements" are improvements at all, or if I just don't get it. Glad you didn't have to do 11 edits start to finish. Must be a lot easier with a partner.
The thing to take from this Rose is that the people are giving you their opinion - not an answer because there isn't one. There's no right and wrong. You need a north star. Some people's opinion will be more expert/valid than others - you just need to work out whose opinion you rate and whose (well meaning) opinion you don't. We had many beta readers but much of the very welcome advice was conflicting - that's the creative process. Your judgement is what matters and you need to be open to feedback - but not always action it. Steer a course between and try not to be knocked off course. Not easy I know...
You rewrote the book 11 times? I tell you, quite honestly, there is no way on God's Green Earth I could stand doing that. Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a writer if it is this much misery. I haven't rewritten my memoir anywhere near that many times, and I'm sick of it.
Well, not from start to finish 11 times. Edited it that many times with feedback yes. Sorry - didn't mean this to dishearten you. There are no rules to writing and it doesn't mean that every book needs that level of rewriting either. Our early drafts were BAD! Yours might be far better :) The only way you'll know is to keep going. It doesn't have to be miserable and writing it wasn't - more like a puzzle we needed to solve. Everyone is cut out to be a writer Rose and the fact that you are writing a memoir means you are one. Not saying it's easy but it's worth doing.
For sure Chris. I wasn't thinking of LWS as a "writing group" as such. I was referring to those awkward instances where you all sit around and wait for some windbag to give up the floor! Cheers, Rose
Ha, yep I feel your pain. You definitely need a windbag-free space!
Hi Chris. I am going to see what Jericho Writers website has that might be of help. But I must tell you that one of the major things I've learned from a webinar that you and Bec did, was that not all writers like a writer's group! It seems that's all I hear, "join a writer's group, join a writer's group!" I think it is not a one-size-fits-all. A lot of the groups I've been in have had an "attention hog" who sucked up most of the time allotted. So, it is encouraging to know that it's OK to give them a miss. I have seen London Writers Salon as well, so thanks for that info too. Cheers, Rose
Sure - point taken! Not a one size fits all. I was just thinking the LWS might offer a community where you can find a mentor. Good luck Rose :)
How much do you charge to guide a writer through to publication?
Hi Rose - sorry for the delay in answering. We don't really offer this service I'm afraid. What might be helpful is to check out our RESET programme? I hope that's of some help. https://prolifiko.com/writing-reset-course/
Thanks Chris.