I mentioned in the previous post that becoming a writer was not something I thought about when I was young. Writing CROW and soon-to-be-released HAWK was not always easy, but it was fun and rewarding, especially when I knew the storyline was coming together.
Writing is very solitary work. Forget about yearly performance reviews or asking the boss for feedback. Sure, I have friends who read the book before I published it to tell me if the story worked but writing eighty thousand words before I got feedback was nerve-wracking. What if everything I wrote the past few months did not appeal to readers, what if the plot lines didn't add up, what if…. I could list numerous 'what ifs.' I had to learn to block out the what-ifs and trust my gut and just keep writing.
In lieu of an annual performance review, I got my feedback in an unexpected but joyful manner. Receiving comments from readers after they read CROW was a delight. It was fun learning what readers picked up on—the relationship between family and romantic encounters, the plot twist was a favorite, and some readers wanted to know about my love of pie. I will tell you all the pie talk was inspired by the '90's television show 'Twin Peaks.'
The ongoing commentary was honestly my favorite - I went on the ride with them as they read the book and got to enjoy the arc of the story through their eyes with the laugh-out-loud moments, the twist, and the second ending.
The biggest joy was they kept the negative feedback to themselves. I know that as more people read my books in the months to come, I can expect both positive and negative comments. I just hope everything that is sent my way is out of respect for a rookie writer, insightful and encouraging.
I end this post hoping each of you gets a positive annual review from your boss and encourage you not to wait a year to get feedback. Be honest but kind when asked to review something.
Go Read
TJ Makkai
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