These shoes may also come in as a close second for ugliest shoes ever, but they definitely take first for uncomfortable, perhaps even painful!
This spurred me to think about what part of the writing process has been most uncomfortable or most painful for me. What shoes have I had to wear that I wish I hadn't? Well, I guess the obvious answer would be the shoes of the rejected. These were definitely painful! But when I think of uncomfortable, I think of first telling someone that I've written a book. One such instance just occurred this past weekend, thanks to my mom. Don't take this the wrong way, Mom, but you really need to learn to keep your mouth shut! (I'm only kidding. I know you are just proud of me, and I appreciate it!)
Here's how I feel when I first tell someone:
Butterflies are going crazy. My face feels hot, and my hands get clammy. Are they going to think I am crazy, weird, too hopeful? The bottom line is: I'm a nervous wreck!
Here's how they react:
"What? You wrote a book? Wow! That's amazing! You actually finished it? I'm impressed! I'm proud of you! I want to read it!"
So why does telling them make me so uncomfortable? Well, I guess because I feel like, now that they know, they are all waiting to see if I succeed or fail. That's the part that makes me so uncomfortable.
So what about you? What part of the writing process is most uncomfortable for you?
5 comments:
You know, those shoes look like ballerina shoes with a training wheel (peg) LoL!!!
Hmmm, what part is most uncomfortable. I'd say waiting on critiques from beta readers. You know there will be things that need to be changed and you worry so much about how your writing will be viewed. It's never as bad a response as you think, but you know it can't possibly be all good. After all critiques are meant to point out areas to fix. Second to that is the dead silence and waiting for a responses when you send out a query.
Quixotic,
Have I mentioned that I love your user name? And very clever on the training wheel comment! Critique responses make me nervous, too, but like you said, they are never as bad as you think they are going to be. That dead silence of the waiting for responses is daunting, isn't it?
Your post today is poetic in its portrait of my experiences today! What makes me uncomfortable? Well let’s just say that I have two drafts of my novel, a censured, and an uncut version. I’m more comfortable sending out the censured one but I have had a better response from those who have read the uncut. Those readers have suggested that I write a sequel. As for the folks that are incredulous that you have written a novel – I would say that they are genuinely impressed. I would have to remove my rose colored glasses to believe that they wished you ill - I simply refuse to do that.
The most uncomfortable part is the rejections of course. Or when someone says that your story just isn't working...for instance I let a few people read my first chapter and there were some things that just didn't flow with it. It was hard to hear.
Strange Fiction,
I know the comments I've gotten were genuine. It's the follow up, I guess, that makes me nervous. You know, when they ask if I've made any progress on getting my book published. I hope to be able to say, "YES!" As far as your censured vs. uncut versions, well, I read on some agent's blog (I can't remember right now which one) that you shouldn't over edit becuase it comes out too flat. Maybe that's what is going on with yours.
Whispering Writer,
Rejection just flat out sucks! But to me, it's just part of it. It's really hard to hear criticism, but I guess in the long run, it's another opportunity to improve your writing. I know. I know. It doesn't make it any easier to hear!
What I've learned today is this: there are many, many things about writing that are uncomfortable. That's why it's so nice not to be in it alone!
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