After I'd sent my first ten pages to my beta readers, I looked back to see what my manuscript looked like.
Had I sent them good stuff?
I was ready to be amazed, but got something much different!
Upon looking back into my words, I saw MANY things that I'd not seen before.
I saw the BORING backstory that I H-A-T-E with a passion! (So much so that I put down a Danielle Steele novel over it.)
The first button I hit? DELETE...without looking back, baby.
I've heard it said that you should look at something with fresh eyes, and I didn't really understand that till I took myself out of the story, and really read the words.
Upon receiving the critique from my betas, I learned from "new eyes goggles" that the scene I deleted seemed like a breakup scene-it wasn't (it introduced one of the MC's! :o()
The other beta said she thought it was a continuation (a scene happening outside of the MC that had already been moved away from)-UGH!
I emailed the ten pages to her, and appologized profusely for the second scene.
What techniques are best to get your "fresh eyes goggles" on?
I agree! We need to give ourselves both the distance and the objective eyes of others in order to truly see our story in a fresh way.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jody.
ReplyDeleteHow do you seperate yourself from what you've written so you can really edit?
Don't feel bad I've embarrassed myself with beta's more than I care to count!!! But in the end it always helps my novel. Not my ego, but then, I've never really needed that anyway. ;) Nice to know you!
ReplyDeleteYou too, honey!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and sharing!
:D
Yeah, the betas definately showed me what it was like through different eyes.
It helped develop my character, one later told me. ;)