As previously mentioned, writers are whores for feedback. While much of writing is a solo adventure, we do need dialogue. For some of us, we need that dialogue from the moment we put pen to paper; for me, it’s after I get a good ‘barf draft’ out of my system.
Josh Weil, who was selected as one of the National Book Foundation’s five under 35 honorees for his collection of novellas, The New Valley, said this in an article titled “First Readers” in Poets and Writers magazine:
- Josh Weil. I wouldn’t mind his eyes on my work.
They’re pretty.
“Some people are able to look at the work with a critical eye as they’re doing it, but I’m not able to write that way. I need to feel, while I’m writing it, that it’s great. Even if it’s not, I need to feel that way, or I’d never be able to do it. Once I get a first draft though, I really need another set of eyes.”
I think we all need another set of eyes. We need to know when we are going on bizarre tangents and taking our characters into a hell from which they will never return. Often, it’s too difficult for us to detach enough to recognize these catastrophes ourselves.
When choosing a reader, I have certain questions I ask myself:
– Am I okay looking stupid in front of this person? (Because that is going to happen)
– Do I like this person’s writing style?
– Does this person provide the kind of feedback I need?
That last question is tricky. We’re all looking for different things. Some writers just want reassurance, a pat on the back, encouragement to keep going. Some are masochists in search of cruel criticism. Some want grammar checks. Some want a general read-through looking for glaring issues only.
As stated in the Poets and Writers article:
“Once a writer and first reader connect, they negotiate, consciously or not, what type of feedback, what level of criticism, the writer hopes to receive. Is she looking for analysis on a micro or macro level? Close line-editing or big-picture observations, especially those related to structure? More important, does the reader understand what’s going on? Are the characters and/or voices authentic and internally consistent? Are the writer’s messages and themes coming through? Is it interesting? Does it produce an emotional response?”
I know, that’s a lot of questions. I swear finding a good reader is more difficult than dating. There’s a certain compatibility factor involved.
And then there are the logistics: Will you trade pages over e-mail? Discuss via phone? Meet up in person? Will it be structured, i.e. “We’ll meet up bi-weekly, for two hours — no more, no less”?
If you can find someone to agree on all that, consider yourself lucky. Treat them to coffee and profess your gratitude as much as possible without sounding creepy.