Ripping Me A New One

Yesterday, I got back my 10-page critique by the very awesome Leah Clifford, author of the YA novel A TOUCH MORTAL. (I have her book in my TBR pile, by the way!)

I didn't know exactly what to expect. My biggest fear was that she'd put a big red 'X' on each page and tell me I needed to start over. Not that I REALLY thought she'd do that, but this was my first 10 pages of my very first novel and I was so nervous!! But honestly, I really wanted her to rip it apart. Just tear it to shreds and show me all the novice mistakes I was making. I could take it. Make. It. Bleed.

She did.

And it felt ... surprisingly good. Almost therapeutic. I had gone over these pages SO many times and was to the point when my eyes couldn't focus because I'd read the same words over and over. I was just tired of this intro and wanted to keep pushing forward with the rest of the story. I felt like I was wasting precious writing time and I didn't know how to make it any better. Though I knew it needed it.

I LOVE my critique group. So much. But having a fresh set of eyes - especially from a person who has seen her own novels get ripped to shreds by her editor - pour over my work is incredibly valuable. I feel so lucky to have had this opportunity this early in my writing. She crossed out unnecessary words and phrases, asked a lot of great questions and pointed out parts that didn't make sense or contradicted something else. She helped me see my writing through a reader's eyes.

Here are Leah's major critiques:

• Show, don't tell - Instead of telling the reader what someone looks like, describe it through action. My critique group has made this comment before. This one is hard, and I know I will get better the more I write. I just need to pay more attention to that.
• Character voice should match her age - My main character is in her thirties. Being 26 myself, I didn't want her to sound too young. I was worried it would sound like a YA novel. I guess I overcompensated and she comes across as much older. Oops!
• Watch out for repetitive words and sentence structure - This is my achilles heel. I use "because", "and", "so" and "but" A LOT. I also use commas too much. This will be a hard habit to break. Just writing this blog post while keeping this rule in mind is proving to be a challenge! Also, I used the adjective "soft" about four times in my first few pages and had no idea. Hmm, what are some synonyms for "soft"?
• Every scene needs a purpose - I have a scene in the beginning that I really like because it introduces my main character's best friend. I think the scene is pretty funny and I love their relationship, but really it doesn't progress the plot in any way. I'm going to try to rework it so I can keep this scene. I need to make it have a purpose. Or cut it (ouch!).

I'm letting Leah's comments simmer for a while before I go back and edit. I might even wait until I get further into my WiP so I can use these lessons as I move forward. Once I've practiced and gotten more skilled, I'll attack the dreaded intro again. I just don't feel like I'm ready yet.

Have you had any really good critiques that ripped you a new one? What major lessons did you learn?

THANK YOU, LEAH!

An Introduction

Good morning! Hope you all had a nice weekend. I changed the name of my blog today to "Novel Beginnings". I thought it was a bit more clever than my former title, which I put down just because I couldn't think of anything else at the time. Hope you like it :).

The Basic Idea
Today I would like to introduce you to my little story idea. My novel will be about Maggie, a woman in her late '20s who runs a pretty successful flower shop in the town of Melas, CA. It's not a very small town like in so many stories, but it's also not particlularly large. People know each other. They run into each other at the grocery store, at the Starbucks, while taking their dogs for walks. But there's also plenty of people in town who don't know each other, or don't really notice one another as they trudge through their lives with their blinders on. Maggie is the key to helping certain people connect through a unique gift of hers. What this gift is, you'll have to wait to find out! I intend this novel to be in the light romance category, with a healthy does of humor and a bit of the paranormal.

My Progress So Far
I have already taken a first stab at writing the first couple of pages, but after that exercise (and some more discussion with my loyal supporters, a.k.a. my husband and Lessa), I think I am going to start fresh. I was just reading some info about starting to write a novel here: http://hubpages.com/hub/Novel-Writing-your-first-chapter. It was very helpful because it warned me agains some very common newbie mistakes, particularly writing all the backstory first. That was the first thing I wanted to do, mostly for my own benefit, because I don't even know Maggie's whole backstory yet or exactly what her character's like yet. Is she spunky and outgoing? A little shy but strong-willed? Dramatic or down-to-earth? I don't know yet.

Also, my husband and I are looking to buy a new computer, that way we don't have to fight for who gets to use it! So once we get that I will have much more time to write and hope to have a first page to show you guys in the not-too-distant future. That's goal #1!

Questions For The Writers Out There
How do you get started on a new novel? Also, do you have any Web sites or other resources that you think would be helpful? I have a notebook where I jotted down some plot twists and the basic storyline. But it's a bit daunting to stare at the blank screen and find a way to begin. Also, how do you decide whether to write in first person or third person? I originally wanted it to be told in first person, but now I think I want to have it in third person with a narrator because it's easier to describe the visuals of the scene that way. I know there are no right or wrong answers to all of these, so maybe the best thing to do is just try a few different opening scenes and see which feels the best and gains the most momentum.

Also, I am always looking for other writers/bloggers to follow so I can learn from their experiences as well so I welcome any of those suggestions as well. Thanks and have a great day!