Some of you may remember my last blog post, where I announced that I had sent out my manuscript (the second draft!) to some trusted readers. I’ve started to get some responses back, and I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised. I didn’t give the readers any context – no history of problems from the first draft, no side notes of thoughts I’d been having about problems – no setup at all. I was hoping to allow for unbiased feedback, and to see if that feedback lined up with hesitations I found, or with the comments of the previous readers.
What I’ve found so far is that the comments are different from the first round, which is a good thing. There are also less of them, but that could be a result of choosing less-harsh critics. Either way, I’m going to take it as a positive thing!
I’m still waiting for the rest of the readers to respond, and in the meantime I’m thinking about finishing other projects, and maybe even starting something new. Maybe I’ll blow the dust off that unfinished screenplay. Does anybody know anything about selling a movie?
Cait Levin is the Community Manager at She Writes. You can read more of her blog (when she stops watching so much Dawson’s Creek and actually writes more of a blog) here.
Very courageous. Sometimes I'm sure this is the right way to go, but I often have questions for readers I trust. I stepped off a metaphoric cliff once without a parachute. Maybe it's time to try it again.
www.writeradvice.com
Steve Martin said you can get a clean read only once from someone, so giving your ms with no notes to bias the reading is smart! However, can you go back to your readers and ask them to comment on the issues you thought your ms might have? In other words, ask: "I thought my main character's change-of-heart might have been too abrupt. What do you think?"
Good luck, Caitlin!
Kelly Hayes-Raitt