By Miranda Paul You think you've got it: The final, polished draft of your picture book. HAPPY! HAPPY! JOY! JOY! You revel in post-draft glory (is that a choir of angels singing?) and get a surge of energy to fold those neglected loads of laundry. Of course, nothing pulls you back to reality like laundry. The joy fades with each towel you fold. Now you wonder—is your manuscript really finished? Better check on that. You send off the story to your critique group, a professional editor, or anyone who'll give comments. (Never mind that the only comment you really want to hear is, "This rocks!") After waiting FOREVER (which is really only days or weeks), all the feedback comes in. That's when it hits you like a steam puff from the dryer vent: Reading multiple critiques is as frustrating as folding the sock load. How is it possible to have so many mis-matches? You boil one person's comments down to, "Loved the ending, hated the rest." The next critiquer basically says, "Hated the ending, loved the rest." Another person writes, "The middle part lags." And yet, someone else's main concern regards the supporting character's left ear. (What the...??) Enter the critique conundrum. Suddenly, you question everything about your manuscript. You wonder which direction is the RIGHT direction for your story, or if it's salvageable at all. You're conflicted. Inside, you get defensive. You chalk it up to subjectivity, or wish you'd never shown it to anyone. What do you do now? 1) Stop panicking. Remember that you put yourself in this position by sending it out into the world. The more people you send it to, the more likely you'll get at least two opposing suggestions. Expect this, because it's what can happen when you submit to agents and editors. Not everyone is going to agree. Keep calm and write on. 2) Don't "boil down comments" into your own interpretation. If you aren't sure what a critiquer meant (especially about that random left ear thing), ask him or her to clarify. Ask why they think a certain suggestion is a stronger choice. Don't add your own spin on others' words. Understanding why a critiquer felt a certain way might shed new light on the comments. Above all, do more listening than responding. 3) Find the common thread in opposing comments. Recently, I had someone tell me to make my animal characters behave more realistically, and another person said to make them more ridiculous/hilarious/un-animal like. Each critiquer gave opposing suggestions, but they were about the same aspect of the book. These two opposing critiques were actually pointing me to the same focus elements for revision: character development and setting up the rules of the animal/human world. Finding the commonality rather than focusing on which suggestion is right or wrong will often illuminate other options for revision. 4) Do separate, focused rounds of revision. Especially if you've gotten multiple critiques, it's often helpful to set a goal before a revision. If your focus is word count, print out the manuscript and only allow yourself to cut words. If your focus is on character, avoid making plot changes during that revision session. Sometimes, it even helps to open up a blank document and retype the picture book from memory—you'll see what is/was most important to you. 5) Remember that it's OK to disagree with or ignore feedback, and trust yourself. This is your story. If you have a clear vision, or "heart" to your manuscript, and a particular suggestion takes it into a direction you don't want to explore (or already have, and didn't like), trust your gut. The third book I sold never went out to my critique group, and it sold on the first submission. Remember that your job is not to please everyone, especially adults. If you've got good reason, it's OK to break the rules. In fact, it's more than OK. Quite often, it's award-winning. 6) Be mindful of when and how you send out your work for critique, and to whom you send it. Before you hit send next time—to a critique partner or anyone—remember that you only get that person's "fresh eyes" once. While critique partners can be very helpful, too many can be harmful. Send your manuscript to writers you trust to be honest and constructive, especially those who are currently published in your genre. Make sure you're submitting something polished and worthy of their time, and let your critiquers know what kind of feedback you are (or aren't) looking for. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got laundry to do. Miranda Paul believes that "A true writer is not measured by the length of her manuscript, but by the depth of her laundry heap." She is the author of One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of The Gambia (Millbrook, Feb. 2015), Water is Water (Neal Porter Books, 2015), 10 Little Ninjas (Knopf Children's/Random House, 2016) and Helping Hands (Millbrook, 2016). In addition to being an instructor for the Children's Book Academy’s course on grammar, she is the founder and administrator of RateYourStory.org, an online service dedicated to helping writers prepare their manuscripts for submission. Follow her on Twitter (@Miranda_Paul) or visit her website at www.MirandaPaul.com.
40 Comments
6/19/2014 04:00:09 am
Glad you found it helpful. Confession: I actually love revision...(well, mostly). Thanks for reading.
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6/18/2014 08:39:04 pm
THANK YOU for this post! This is truly the anxiety I am feeling right now and it really helps to address it.
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6/19/2014 04:01:34 am
YOU'RE WELCOME! That anxiety is tough, and writers know it well. Lean on friends and family when needed, too.
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6/18/2014 08:46:53 pm
Hi Miranda,
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6/19/2014 04:03:04 am
You're welcome, Kirstine. I have had so many writers come to me with this dilemma, I had to write about it. Thanks for reading.
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6/18/2014 10:43:57 pm
This is an excellent post - thanks, Miranda, I'll certainly be promoting it. Occasionally I'll ask my critique network for general thoughts, but more often for which of a number of alternatives they prefer, or for suggestions for making the ending stronger or... - being specific about which part I'm most uncertain. Yep, I've had one editor say '...love the changing rhythms!' and another who wanted consistent rhythm on every page. You just have to find the editor with a similar taste to your own. A panel of agents at a symposium told me that they didn't like my choice of unfamiliar animals used as characters ...but the book will be released next month.
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6/19/2014 04:04:14 am
Thanks, Peter - for reading and for the promotion. That's generous of you, and appreciated. Congratulations on your book. Next month! Exciting. What's the title?
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6/19/2014 07:44:01 am
Thank you so much, Miranda. It's called 'Once a Creepy Crocodile', wonderfully illustrated by Nina Rycroft and published by The Five Mile Press - released in July and includes a CD of it being sung (not by me), and also the original 'Waltzing Matilda', which the rhythm of the words match. It starts off: 6/19/2014 07:44:17 am
Thank you so much, Miranda. It's called 'Once a Creepy Crocodile', wonderfully illustrated by Nina Rycroft and published by The Five Mile Press - released in July and includes a CD of it being sung (not by me), and also the original 'Waltzing Matilda', which the rhythm of the words match. It starts off: 6/18/2014 11:32:10 pm
Hi Miranda,
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6/19/2014 04:05:20 am
Dear Rebecca,
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6/19/2014 12:06:19 am
I like the idea of focused revision. But I find ideas pop into my head and I better write them down (or lose them!). So I guess a separate pad of paper would work. Going to try this.
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Debra Bergerson
6/19/2014 12:28:53 am
Thanks for this very timely peice! My laundry basket is somewhat, in need of attention, and overflowing !!!
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6/19/2014 04:07:41 am
Debra, that is the sign that you are a true writer. Glad you found this post timely.
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6/19/2014 12:36:56 am
Thoughtful piece, thank you for it. The commonalities suggestion is particularly useful. Neil Gaiman once said that critics comments about how to fix things are rarely useful while their instincts about where manuscripts are problematic are very often right. Perhaps we should think of critiques as arrows pointing to problematic parts of texts rather than up or down evaluations.
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6/19/2014 04:09:01 am
Leila—excellent quote about critiques as arrows. I'm glad you found this piece thoughtful and thanks also for the wise words of Neil Gaiman.
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Rene Diane Aube
6/19/2014 12:45:45 am
Thank you Miranda. I love the suggestion to do focused rounds on revision. It's a concept I had not yet heard. And, also, thanks for the license to ignore feedback that doesn't resonate or for good reasons pertaining to the purpose of your story. Great post. :)
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6/19/2014 04:14:03 am
A few years back, another author gave me her revision "checklist" - which had about 7 things on it. I would read my story, once for each checkbox separately, and only focus on that one line (to see if I could check a box). While I ended up ditching the checkbox thing because it was too formulaic and didn't apply to most of my writing, I did keep the habit of doing focused rounds of revision. And found that to be really helpful. Glad you found it useful, too.
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6/19/2014 01:17:27 am
I love the way you describe your story (the laundry unfold and all). It is so true that too much people involved in the critic can make you want given up all together. But if you are not a pro, you need them (the trusted ones) and their honest point of view.
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6/19/2014 04:16:01 am
Thanks, Lucie. If there's one thing writers should never do, it's give up. And you're right, the second thing is to get trusted people to critique their work honestly. Appreciate you taking the time to comment.
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Patricia Toht
6/19/2014 01:53:41 am
Great post, Miranda -- thank you! I especially like your last point. If you submit a manuscript to a critique partner multiple times, they bring with it the "baggage" of having read previous drafts. They know what's been cut and may long to have bits of it returned. Or they already know some backstory and automatically read that into the text, whether it is currently in there or not.
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6/19/2014 06:20:28 am
Right on. And if you're able to have a face to face or Skype critique/chat, all the better. Good luck with your work, Patricia.
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Sheri McCrimmon
6/19/2014 03:08:12 am
Thanks! Great post. Focusing on problem areas - commonality even in differing options - very helpful.
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6/19/2014 03:39:42 am
Great post, Miranda! I especially love the comment about finding the common thread. It's true that the critique may be different, but if readers continue to niggle at the same theme or spot then it likely needs revisiting! Thanks!
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6/19/2014 06:22:56 am
Thanks, Sarah. That's right—even if specific suggestions aren't enlightening, the part of the manuscript that keeps coming up for discussion is worth taking another look at.
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Charlotte Dixon
6/19/2014 03:44:02 am
Thank you for this insightful post about critique groups. I have found conflicting statements and I'm pleased you have pointed out a way for resolution-find the commonality.
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6/19/2014 06:24:28 am
Charlotte, it's not 100% foolproof, but it is a way to restore a sense of control when you may feel like others have taken control of your manuscript by tugging it in different directions.
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6/19/2014 04:08:14 am
Great post, Miranda! I've got an MFA, and I've been with my critique group for 14 years, so I'm used to "the critique." I think that finding the "common thread" in opposing suggestions is most useful to me. You have to expand your view to encompass what at first seems like a paradox.
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6/19/2014 06:26:05 am
14 years, and an MFA—your writing journey sounds amazing. Glad I added something you found useful. I'm grateful for mentors/writers who have encouraged me to "expand my view" as you say. Thanks for adding to the discussion, Jilanne.
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6/20/2014 12:18:42 am
thank you Miranda. I have had two stories out with beta readers and critique groups recently and found some of the commentary less than helpful. I am considering sending a critique sheet to guide them...eg spelling, grammar and punctuation issues... this sentence works for me because... continuity issues occur when...time line problems showed up .... I loved this bit because...
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6/20/2014 07:03:11 am
Great advice, Miranda! I do only a couple of those things consciously, so need to keep these points in mind for future reference. :)
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6/22/2014 12:00:58 am
I enjoyed thinking about your comment that you only get fresh eyes once! I've never thought about it that way. Thank you for the excellent post! I look forward to meeting you at the WOW writing retreat.
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Julene Kinser
7/1/2014 12:08:28 am
What a great post, Miranda. Especially helpful to me were the points concerning finding common threads in opposing comments, focused revision, and limiting the number of times a project is put before the same set (s) of eyes. Thank you for your encouraging advice.
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7/11/2014 05:33:27 am
I'm a bit late to the party. Fantastic pointers. Thank you!
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6/17/2017 07:30:47 pm
Thank you so much for this focused look and receiving critique. Very helpful.
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Judy Sobanski
6/20/2017 06:59:00 pm
Going through this very issue right now with a manuscript. Your post was very helpful in sorting out how to deal with differing opinions. Thanks!!
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