The only hard-and-fast rule of creative writing is that there are no hard-and-fast rules. For every writer who swears that you must have an outline to organize your ideas before you begin a story, another one says that outlines are useless. Organizing your ideas is what a first draft is for.

A first draft is the clay from which the finished work is molded. It’s not supposed to be any good; it’s for the author’s eyes only. The author must have the freedom to write a first draft without a critical eye challenging the flow of ideas. For most writers, the notion of showing a first draft to a critiquing group is counter-intuitive. But some beginning writers working on the first draft of a novel may benefit from the feedback of a critiquing group. Whether the benefits outweigh the risks depends on the author—and the critic. Here are some things to consider before sharing your raw manuscript.

What are your goals?

A critiquing group is not a support group. Yes, providing support is one of the critics’ roles; but their primary job is to give constructive feedback, identifying what’s working and what’s not in your manuscript. In the beginning, hearing this feedback can be traumatic. The first time I read through critiques of my work, all I saw were the negative comments. On the second read-through, I noticed that there were positive ones as well. Yet my brain hadn’t even processed them: it was as if I were reading them for the first time.

Your primary goal when seeking critiques should be to learn how you can improve your work. If it’s praise you want, show your manuscript to your mom or your best friend. Members of a critiquing group aren’t doing their job if they’re not honest. Continue reading “Unearthing the Clay: Pros and Cons of First Draft Critiques” →

“How do I format my manuscript?”

This question plagues new writers who worry that their manuscript will automatically be tossed into the Rejection pile if the layout is wrong. Other new writers view formatting as self-expression; if their manuscript looks outstanding to their eyes in 9-point Monotype Corsiva, then that’s what they use. Besides, they reason, the writing is what matters.

The truth lies somewhere in between. Agents and editors aren’t monsters. They’re people who make their living by representing or buying the manuscripts of writers like us. They care more about the quality of the writing than the way it looks on the page. But they’re also busy professionals with far more submissions than they have time to read. So go out of your way to avoid giving them a reason not to read yours. Continue reading “Manuscript Formatting: Just Do It” →