So, You’ve Written a Novel… What next?

This article appeared in the December 2012 issue of ACTWrite, the ACT Writers Centre newsletter.

Before you try to sell your book to a publisher (assuming that’s the path you want to take), you need to make your writing as solid as you can; agents and publishers rarely take on a project that needs more than superficial work, and no reader wants a scrappy read – so self-publishing won’t help either.

The question is: how good is good enough?

Getting some feedback should give you that answer.

Other people will see problems you miss because they’ll see it from another perspective. They’ll also pick up on things that are clear in your own mind, but not so clear on paper.

Useful feedback requires some fairly specialised skills from both you and your readers; you need to be willing accept feedback objectively, and a reader must be prepared to tell you about its problems without fear of upsetting you.

A good manuscript assessment service might be the perfect solution, but they’re costly, and you’ll need to do your research first; there’s little point in paying for someone who specialises in literary works if you write fantasy.

A cheaper and more versatile option is other writers

There are plenty of online critique groups (Critters, Authonomy), and Yahoo Groups is particularly useful for setting up your own (or finding one already established.)

If you’ve got the choice, a face-to-face group specifically formed to review each other’s manuscripts works extremely well.

For example, the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild (CSFG) runs a novel critique group for its members each year, which has the added benefit of providing feedback from people writing in the same genre.

Each month is devoted to critiquing a single novel, and all members of the critique group read it and meet afterward to provide face-to-face feedback followed by a written report.

Thing to consider

Regardless of the format or how you obtain your feedback, there are some things to consider when committing your manuscript to scrutiny.

Firstly, find out what genre and sub-genre each person prefers, their level of writing/editing experience, and their professional qualifications (if any).

The answers may influence the weight of any particular critique, but don’t take it as a hard rule – some people are naturally better at critiquing than others, while writing skills don’t necessarily add up to insight or knowledge.

It’s also easy to forget that people will critique your work based on what they would do. Their preferences and experience will play into their review no matter how good they are at writing or critiquing.

It’s also good to know if someone’s qualifications give them technical insight into your story.

For example, a historian might pick up on historical inaccuracies, a doctor would know a lot about current and/or historical treatments, and an astronomer will have a solid understanding of how the universe works.

Even if you disagree with the responses, assume that if several people say the same thing (even in different ways), more than likely there’s a problem.

That doesn’t mean their suggestions will solve it – only that you might need to do something about it.

Put your ego aside and give it some serious consideration – they’re trying to improve your story, not criticise you.

In fact, you may already have suspicions about your story (what’s not working), and quite likely they’ll be confirmed.

It’s good to hear it from someone else though. It means you’re on the right track.

Figure out what you want out of it

One of the most effective things you can do when putting your story ‘out there’ is to provide a list of questions you want answered.

Start with the general impressions:

• What did you like and dislike the most? Why?
• What were the strongest and weakest parts of the story? Why?
• Did you care about what happened to the characters?
• Does the plot hold together well?
• Were there any inconsistencies?

After that, ask for more specific details:

• key chapters
• plot points
• emotional impact
• character motivations – anything you suspect isn’t working as well as it could.

Also, consider what isn’t said: if your novel is working, it should generate an emotional response.

• Did people react the way you’d hoped?
• Did they ask questions about your world and your characters because they were genuinely curious (or because they couldn’t figure something out)?
• Were they passionate about the beginning, but had little to say about the end?

Listen to what your readers have to say and don’t say, and ask yourself if their feedback can improve your story.

Even an overwhelmingly positive response can generate fresh ideas

If you feel overwhelmed afterward, try writing another novel and revisiting the first when you’ve got some emotional distance. Better yet, write two – and then get more feedback. You can only improve.

However, if you can transport critical readers into your story and have them show genuine enthusiasm for the whole thing, you’ve probably written your final draft. Give it some polish and find an agent.

By Chris Andrews

Read more about the Craft of Writing, or for a bit of a laugh try Pitching to an Agent or Editor – The Cretin’s Guide.