The third draft is underway, and I’ve stopped been able to see any improvements in the work. I’m too close it it, so I’ve enlisted outside help.
Writer’s Surgery
My wife bought me a Writers Consult at Queensland Writers Centre so I can get an outside opinion on my work in progress and identify next steps. She bought it because she is a lovely person and it’s a lovely gift.
I’ve just had the session and it was super helpful and super nice to talk to someone else about my project. The big news was that Softening might not be a romance at all. It reads more like women’s fiction. I was weirdly shocked by this but it’s honest feedback which is always good (so I tell myself repeatedly).
Beta Readers
My plan was always to get some of it out to beta readers as soon as possible, so I can check that I can actually write. That time is here. I’ve polished the first three chapters as much as I can and given it out to five beta readers. Softening emerges into the world – a big moment.
My beta readers are
- My wife
- My daughter
- My line manager
- My line manager’s wife
- Anne Barnes, who did my writers consult at QWC
Ann thought I was mad to give the work in progress to my line manager. She might be right and I’ve probably crossed the line on that one. But it’s done so it’s forward only.
Classes
Alongside this emerging, I’ve attend my first class at Queensland Writer’s Centre and met other writers for the first time. They look just like me – except they are nearly all female. So not like me really.
The course was on how to construct a personal writer’s plan for 2024. A lot of it was around motivation, but right now I don’t have problems getting down to writing which is extremely fortunate. Still very useful and has inspired me to write my own plan. Let’s see how much of it I can stick to as the writing year rolls on.
Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash
