Have you ever had people in your life who just don’t seem to learn lessons?

 



I admit I wrote most of Book 3 during lockdown. It was a troublesome time with me having to learn how to home school and deal with lots of conflicting expectations. So it does not surprise me that my characters seem to be all over the place with some of them resistant to lessons they need to learn.

After my editor started going through the first draft, she pointed out some of these characters who seem to stray off and doing their own thing without sticking to the mission. So now I have to ask myself some tough questions. Are these behaviours a reflection of my mind as I have persevered through the “stop start” feel of 2020? Or are these reflections of the characters’ journeys?

It means I have to do some serious reflection on the suggested rewrite from my editor. As authors, we want independent creative expression and feedback is something that makes us stop and reevaluate our position. It is not a natural process for an author because feedback seems a lot of like criticism and often authors have a knee jerk reaction to criticisms. In fact, I think many people have an instinct to kick back at criticism. In fact, it is a fear that stops many people who dream of being authors of stopping in the initial stages. But it it a skill that we must learn to master.

To find the balance between what is relevant feedback that will improve the quality for the read and what is a subjective opinion is something we all have to strive for. I have developed an internal checklist for responding to feedback that has helped me keep sane and keep improving at the same time. You don’t have to be an author to do this. I often tell my children, don’t listen to HOW the person is giving you feedback, maybe they are just in a foul mood. Rather listed to WHAT they are saying. If there is truth in it and if it can help you grow and improve, then take note and see how you can implement the changes.


WHAT AM I WRITING AT THE MOMENT


I am stuck in rewrites for book 3. I suspect that will take the better part of February. After that I need to send the book to my advance readers team and then I can restart work on book 4. At the launch of book 2, I offered avid fans an opportunity to get into book 4 and one of my fans sent through $136 contribution to the book publishing process that got her a place in book 4. Usually this kind of transaction would go through my Patreon account, but as I know the fan fairly well, she went direct.

It has been a fun journey as I have chatted to other people who have stayed with her for periods of time, to find aspects of her personality that she does not readily share so that I can write her as more interesting character. Not that these are bad or offensive parts of her personality, rather they are related to her daily habits that outsiders won’t know about. I offered her opportunity to be a good or a bad character, and we opted for a mischievous character. I am itching to get this section written, but as fans are waiting for book 3, I have to curb my impulses and get on with the rewrites for book 3. 






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