A Testimonial: Why the IWW is One of the Best 101 Writer's Sites

Novel critique list member Bill Brier writes ...

I'm just finishing my first novel, Grayson's War. I spent over two years working entirely on my own. Struggled with the plot and the writing. Altered the plot, added, subtracted, shifted -- a million changes. It took ages just coming up with metaphors and similes, dialogue, research -- all that stuff. For me, it was a one person job. Many rewrites and lots and lots of thinking.

For my way of thinking, all that had to be done before subbing. (Of course I didn't even know subbing existed -- and am now happy for it.)

When I finished the complete story I began subbing and made many changes based on critiques. Hundreds of changes -- many hundreds. I even changed the first chapter three times. (So much for subbing that first chapter right away. By the time the last chapter is written the first chapter may have to be totally changed.) It turns
out, I believe, that I was fortunate in doing it that way, because no one else knew the story as well as me, and premature input would have had me flying in who knows how many directions. Besides, I'm the author.

After three months of running all fifty chapter through the subbing gauntlet, and making changes, I'm now completing a second run through doing fine-tuning and plot fixes that were still screwed up.

I can't rave enough about the quality of critiques I've been fortunate to have received. As our beloved Elma once said to me, writing is a collaborative effort. So true.

I have found this method to be beneficial and efficient, and intend on repeating the process with my next novel -- Grayson's War, the Sequel.

Next step -- where's that New York agent?