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Rank: AML Member
Joined: 10/26/2007
Posts: 55
Points: 168
Location: South Jordan, UT
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Have any of you written a novel? I'm curious about how you workshop a novel. I have a fantastic writer's group, but I'm not sure how to bring them in. At what stage should I begin seeking feedback? I have a completed, sloppy first draft. Should I finish a second draft before I invite eyes? And at that point, should I dump the whole thing on them? I would like feedback on broad-picture things like story arc and plot elements before I'm ready for language issues and sentence/paragraph flow.
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Rank: Visitor
Joined: 10/26/2007
Posts: 91
Points: 126
Location: El Cerrito, California
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. My previous writing group tended to drip novels. I noticed that the first time someone brought a novel in, they liked to have it done first, then bring in a few chapters at a time. Later, they would often bring a work in progress. I'm still much for finishing first, because otherwise I either a) spend all my time rewriting what has gone before without even knowing how exactly it will all come together in the end or b) wait till I'm done to start rewriting, then can't understand all those notes anymore.
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Rank: AML Member
Joined: 9/12/2007
Posts: 63
Points: -225
Location: Utah
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This is something I have posted on the Hatrack River Writers Workshop which I have moderated for years for Orson Scott Card: Quote:In the first year here at Hatrack, in one group, there were three complete novels critiqued in the first six months. This happened because the group members were interested in reading faster than on a chapter-by-chapter basis.
I have critiqued novels both ways, and I have decided that it might be a good idea to offer three options to people who want feedback on their novels. Please be aware, however, that the critiquer gets to choose which way works best for the critiquer. Yes, the writer wants as much feedback as possible as quickly as possible, but if it's going to be any faster than one chapter at a time, the critiquer should be the one to say.
Option 1--writer emails the complete manuscript and the critiquer reads it and comments on a chapter (or some small segment) a week (or more, if the critiquer feels so inclined).
Option 2--writer emails a partial (first three chapters or first 20 pages and an outline of the whole novel) and critiquer comments on that--and then tells the writer whether to send more. This mimics the experience of most writers when they send material to an editor. (It's a good idea to have an outline ready in any case.) Also, if your novel has any particularly troublesome problems, you can learn about them and fix them without irritating the critiquer by making him or her read the whole thing.
Option 3--writer emails a chapter (or small segment--no more than 7500 words) a week and critiquer has to wait to read each installment.
Please remember that if you are participating in a writing group, there are other people in each group who want feedback on their work as well. The above options assume that the novel is the only thing being read and critiqued--which won't be true in a real group. If you want your whole novel read as quickly as those three novels I mentioned above were read, you are going to need to be willing to =read= other's novels that fast, too.
Under normal circumstances, novel chapters will have to take turns with other group members' work--which means this could be a =long= process.
I am interested in any input or suggestions you may have on this subject. And I'm still interested in such input and suggestions.
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Rank: AML Member
Joined: 10/28/2007
Posts: 4
Points: 12
Location: Texas
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Sorry to jump in so late. What Kathleen copy and pasted was great advice: Its important to make the critiquers happy since they are doing the writer a favor. Give options and all.
I've critiqued a bunch of novels both ways. For me, it feels like a waste of time if I don't have the whole thing. A woman in my workshop kept bringing pieces of a completed novel in piece by piece. The pieces were fine. But when she had an agent who wanted to read it, she asked me to look the whole thing over. First time I'd seen all of it. It completely fell apart because of inconsistencies no critiquer would see if reading in sections. So I'd recommend a writer get someone to read the whole thing once they think the work is completely "done." Critiques along the way are helpfull, but I bet most of us need to have the whole novel eye-balled before we send out. Oh, and surprise, when my friend tried to make hasty repairs before sending it to the agent, she failed. The rejection hurt.
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