Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The writing life

Julia Bell, UK novelist and lecturer, shares her essential writing tips:

1. Get rid of all distractions – if you have to, disconnect your wi-fi. There’s a great app called Freedom which disables your wi-fi: http://macfreedom.com/. This has saved me many hours of working time from the rabbit hole that is the internet.


2. Focus on what’s in front of you. A good writer can make a short walk across an empty room seem interesting. Try with what you can see now, beyond the computer screen on which you are reading these words. What’s the view out of the window? What does the floor look like? The walls? What sounds can you hear? What smells? This kind of close focus in the stuff of good fiction. Get in the habit of noticing your surroundings.


3. Write every day. Even if it’s only a shopping list. Writing is a habit as well as an art.


4. Read every day. Even if it’s only a bus timetable. Reading gives you language, ideas, jumping off points. Take vocabulary from your reading and record it in your notes books – any unusual words, odd sounding phrases, quotes you want to remember. Your notebooks then become a record of the journeys that you have taken in your reading.


5. Your characters need to be written before they’ll become fully-rounded people. You don’t know who they are when you first start writing them as you haven’t really spent enough time with them yet. Don’t expect to know them completely right away. Getting to know them over time is part of the point - uncovering them as you go along.


6. Don’t overdo it. See point 3. Writing everyday and doing nothing else will quickly burn out your inspiration. Take time out to go for walks or to museums and galleries or to the cinema, theatre, etc. to places which inspire your creativity. Again, use point 2 here, take note of where you are, what things look like, who else is around. You are a body and a consciousness in the world – use your senses and your intellect to explore it. Check out the blog of creativity guru Keri Smith http://www.kerismith.com/. Her books are great too as a way into this kind of creative exploration in practice.




Don’t listen to what anyone else says. Be a rebel when you write. Don’t bother with people when they ask you, “Your writing can eat or not?” If you have to write in order to gain approval from others—don’t do it for them, because then your writing will be worth nothing. Your writing must always mean something—especially to yourself. Get yourself a nice quiet part of the room, one in which your parents will not nag you for wasting your life not making money. I think it is fairly obvious that writing should not be about money. It is also not about fame. It is about doing what is necessary, such that if you do not write, your life would have little meaning.


Whether you write with a computer or a pen and notebook, make sure you ask yourself this question before you start: “Who am I writing for and is what I am about to say elegant, honest and straightforward?” The first line is everything. The second line too. You have to pack a punch, but always wrap your fist in a velvet glove. Then in the middle of your poem or story, take out the glove and set the context, caress the clueless reader with facts and set the context; then put the glove back on and strike hard with a revelation; the sensitive reader is always looking for a beating. Make the reader beg for more. Suggest; don’t impress. Evoke through your writing; don’t rant or complain. Leave the complaining for your blog.


The most important aspect of writing is to read the writings of others—especially those who write about the same things as you. See where you think these other writers have succeeded or failed; then commit to the same standards in your own work. Writing is meaningless if you don’t read. Read well. Be the kind of reader you would want others to be when they eventually read your work. This will make you into the kind of writer that you have always hoped to become.


Saturday, February 25, 2012

haiku moment



Nobody told us
Powdered hearts scatter faster
When kept in torn pockets.



Thursday, February 23, 2012

A most-welcomed bout of encouragement

... from literary agent Rachelle Gardner's blog: 6 Reasons for Writers to Be Optimistic


Guess what! The sky may not be falling after all. Yes, there are a lot of changes happening in publishing (and the world).


But things aren’t all bad. Herewith, six tidbits to cheer you up.


1. Publishers are still buying books.



If you follow Publishers Marketplace, you know that new deals are being announced every day. Some people even (allegedly) get deals for $4 million (hello Amanda Knox). While that’s not the norm, it’s a sign that big publishers still have money and still see a future for books. Closer to home, it’s nice to note that deals are still being done for books in all genres, fiction and non-fiction.


2. Agents are still taking new clients.



Yes! Believe it or not, agents still read queries, attend conferences, and sign new clients. Who knew? I myself have already taken on two new authors this year. And it’s only February.


3. Debut authors are still getting published.



Since many of you are yet unpublished and finding the road to publication challenging, it probably feels like nobody wants debut authors anymore. Not true! Fresh voices are still the lifeblood of publishing, and every year, many of them make it to the bestseller lists and “best of the year” lists. Debut authors are never a huge portion of the books published, but still make up about 10 to 15% by my (unscientific) estimate.


4. Print books are still about 75% of the market.



I know, I know, you love the smell of the paper, the heft of the book, how they look on your shelves, yada yada yada. You love your print books, I get it. Luckily for you, print books are still the majority of what’s being sold. If you want to see your book in print, you still have that option.


5. People still READ.



And now that everyone’s on the Internet all the time, people are reading more than ever. That means if you write words, chances are, you’ll find someone to read them.


6. There are more publishing opportunities than ever.



As technology drives the changes in publishing, your options for getting your work in front of readers are expanding and multiplying every day. As far as I can tell, there’s never been a better time to be a writer.


Why are YOU optimistic today?

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

#^$%^#%, WIP!


Big problem. Big, big problem with my work-in-progress. And here is where I come to whine sort out my thoughts.

I'm torn between abandoning my WIP and pressing on. Of course, I'm more inclined towards the latter. But I've come to the devastating conclusion that I am not ready to write this story. I was never meant to write this story. Yes, I had fun writing it. But that, really, seems to be all there is to it. It's just a story, a simple shallow story without a discernable theme, inconsistent characters and a meek plot. I don't have anything to say about anything, and my characters are just going with the flow, not forced to make their own decisions or learn something about themselves or the world they live in.

Long story short (pun unintended), I can't go on.

A hiatus and a revision later, 15 MINUTES DOWN SUNSET AVENUE is still not working. It feels like I'm surrendering, giving up at page 241 now, but I simply don't know how to rev up the engine again. Here I am, giving in to the midstory goblin, just like I had for MINT. Except while I gave up at page 157 for MINT, I'm giving up at page 241 now.

But 15 MINUTES is a complete mess, in terms of plot, characters and theme. The characters are inconsistent, especially Prince, and the stakes are not high enough. The subplots are not complementing the main plot as well as I would like them to, and the characters haven't experienced the proverbial end of the world before dawn breaks. And I'm already at page 241. How long more am I going to make my characters walk about on the page? How are the characters going to make tough choices if there isn't a strong enough conflict to jolt them into action?

Okay. Deep breath. One problem at a time.

Problem 1: character.

Prince. One of the main characters. Arrogant, narcissistic pop idol who went on a two-year hiatus after his father, with whom he is very close, died. He has decided to fulfil his father's wish and make a comeback. Problem: in the period he's been gone, other pop idols have risen and eclipsed him, but his fans remain loyal and stand by him throughout his tumultuous journey to reclaim his throne.

And that's where the logical problem lies. If he's got such a huge and devout fan base, why would his comeback be such a struggle for him? I wrote it such that his arrogance and impetuousness is the reason why directors and music producers are reluctant to work with him. But he's a good cash cow - wouldn't they fight to work with him even though he's really difficult to work with? Also, I intended to make his comeback really tough and fraught with problems (personal life - his relationship with Chloe; public image - a sore loser who can't deal with competition; reputation - impulsive, conceited brat, rude to the media), but how tough can it be if there are so many fans supporting him? Because for all his shortcomings, Prince is the best when it comes to his fans and close friends. I need him to have a redeeming quality, you see, otherwise readers will hate him.

Also, another problem: his father died. If he was so devastated by his father's death, so much so that he had to take a 2-year hiatus from work, wouldn't he be more humble and less arrogant, narcissistic and impulsive? He would be more sombre, or at least slightly more mature, wouldn't he? But I've always had the image of Prince as an arrogant brat who is, if nothing, generous to the people he loves. People who know him love him as much as they hate him, while his fans are completely smitten with him. So that's another problem.

Next, the problem of theme. Every story needs one. Every story needs to circle around this theme and provide an insight into the human condition (or at least, just the protagonist's condition) or the environment he or she lives in. What's the theme for 15 MINUTES? What was my theme for MINT? Am I making the same mistake? Not digging deep enough into my story? I suppose Chloe's fear of stepping out of her comfort zone could be something readers might relate to. That, and her inability to make decisions for herself, seeing as how she is so used to taking care of others and putting other people's needs before her own. I could use this encounter with Prince and his world to trigger a character transformation in Chloe. But, if Chloe was afraid to step out of her comfort zone, why would she agree to be Prince's assistant? Oh right, because of the money. Her parents' business venture failed....

(Don't mind me. I'm just thinking aloud.)

Another problem: plot. What are the stakes, for Chloe and Prince? They aren't high enough. Their problems are not big enough to make readers want to stick around and find out what happened to them in the end. No one will care. Prince needs to lose everything he has. His career, Chloe ... his fans? He (and Chloe, now employed as his personal assistant) need to abandon all hope, make a decision, stick to it and live with the consequences. But he hasn't lost enough yet. Maybe I'm mollycoddling my characters too much. I don't want anything too bad to happen to them. Maybe that's why I'm stuck in this stalemate. I have my antagonist, Sawyer, who is Prince's bandmate and now rival (because he signed on to be a pop idol without telling Prince) in both the spotlight and in love (i.e. Chloe). I have Prince's mother, who will remove anyone and anything that stands in the way of Prince's success. But how to make them work - how to weave the story, subplots with main plot - is the question.

Anyone who thinks writing a story is easy needs to try it on their own.
From Kidlit a while back:

Am I Wrong to Pursue A Writing Career?
For today, I’ve got a question from a reader! Take a look at what L.S. wanted to know:
I’ve been writing for a few years (I’m 17) and I know I want to be an author. It’s all I want to do but I know my writing needs work – a lot of work. I’ve heard from some people that the only way to improve your writing is to practice, just keep writing and reading. Is that true, or is it different for everyone? And is it wrong to pursue this as a career?
It seems like the most common advice is to do something else, “write in your free time”. I originally decided that if I made it to college, I’d major in Creative Writing. I thought that would help me become a better writer, but I’m worried now that it would be a waste of time.
There isn’t a single writer in the world who hasn’t doubted whether writing is the path for them. These questions are definitely normal. The first thing I have to say is that you’ve got plenty of time on your hands. A lot of writers discover their passion for it early. This is the part you might not want to hear, though: a lot of writers start early but then spend years and years and years honing their skills. To answer your question, yes, practice and reading are the best ways to improve as a writer. That’s not just for some people, that’s for everybody. The more you write, the better you get, and the more you read, the more you absorb for your own craft.

Even though you’re thinking of majoring in creative writing, don’t think you’ll get out of college with that degree and begin a career writing books right away. The truth of the matter is, you’ll learn a lot more from years and years of practice than you ever will in creative writing classes. Those classes were nice but did little to prepare me for writing a book and getting into the publishing world. Heck, my MFA in creative writing was only marginally better than college in terms of craft and literature curriculum. Luckily, nobody cares about your degrees or your resume when you’re a writer. They only care about the work, as should you. That’s your responsibility to hone, so don’t feel like you need to put so much pressure on your degree.

Being an author isn’t an easy career to get into. Most people don’t realize how long it takes to start writing good, saleable books. Most people have no idea how slowly the publishing world moves. I talk to writers all the time who say it took them ten years of solid writing to finally get a manuscript that sold. But if that’s the only thing you can possibly imagine doing, if writing is an irresistible, compulsive thing for you, then pursue it. Most people try and then drop out. This is a field where tenacity is pretty much a requirement.

The thing you really need to explore right now is your voice. For young writers, the voice is usually the last thing to develop and solidify. It’s true. To carry any kind of book for 300 pages, a writer needs a mature, dynamic and compelling voice. A voice that feels like a real human being, not just some caricature or persona. If there’s any advice I’d give you, it’s to educate yourself, put in grueling writing time every day and to work tirelessly on your voice. That and don’t give up just because it’s hard. The most worth-it things are always difficult.



Nice to know I'm not alone.

Friday, February 17, 2012

The best of the noughties! (non-exhaustive list ahead)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtypSRcwIhA&feature=relmfu

Admit it. You were singing along to it, weren't you? Filled with delicious emo catchiness, and it brings back memories of secondary school. I remember I was in secondary 2 when I heard them, and I've loved almost every one of their songs since. Ah, to be fourteen again. So much has happened. This is one of those songs that bring back all those memories for me.

Another one from them that brings it all back is this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfdAGkjHGac&feature=related

Gotta love AAR. Tyson's gorgeous, and their songs don't take themselves too seriously, but the lyrics are well thought out. The noughties was the era of pop rock! Along with AAR were Simple Plan, Good Charlotte, Avril Lavigne and Ashlee Simpson, etc. Some people say their music is shallow, but really they just need to get off their high horses (alternatively, they can remove the sticks from their butts - I'm sure they are equally effective) and enjoy the music for what it is. You've got your poison, I've got mine. They're like summer holidays music to me.

Remember this?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvpNa5O-0-8&ob=av2e

Their first album was the best. I remember some of the guys from 2E2 singing this in class and the entire class started singing along. Good times. (Plus, I remember I thought the drummer from Simple Plan was cute. As is Tyson from AAR.)

And who can forget this scene?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MdfscDeGe8

The first few seasons of Smallville were so good. After Jensen left the show, though, I stopped watching it (and moved on to Supernatural), partly also because Lana ditched Clark and went off with Lex Luther. Wow. To think I actually remember all this. 2004 really brings back a lot of memories.

Like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJCsyLUCSXI&ob=av2e

She used to be good when she first started out. Natural, dedicated. I think Hollywood changed her. Wish she'd go back to making music again.

And here's her ex:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWwdh6FGL4M&ob=av2e

Whatever happened to him?

And from 2003, there's:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NPBIwQyPWE&feature=relmfu

And:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYiU_JCYtU&feature=related

2005 brought:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs0ZwOtr15Y

Reminds me of our Geography field trip to Perth. I heard this on the bus and on the local radio station one very chilly morning in the hotel room with Jolene and Michelle.

Also:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yipoOY56MbM&ob=av2e

The very song I wailed along to at the farm we visited. It was raining and biting cold and the bunch of us were holed up in our cabins nursing mugs of tea. And then Kelly came on and there was no stopping me.

And:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1uNjmxJQUo

And on a more sombre note:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YzabSdk7ZA&ob=av2e

Still, there was her ex, who brought this in 2006:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oqXwnXjgDE&ob=av2e

Back to 2004, there's this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oqXwnXjgDE&ob=av2e

Reminds me of secondary 3 camp. I was listening to this on the bus that took us away from civilisation.

And then there's good old Gwen:



Next came junior college, which was really characterised by songs like:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0lf_fE3HwA&ob=av2e

We were supposed to introduce ourselves to the class, and this song was playing in the background and we were singing along to this. The guys sang along with Akon!

And:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EwViQxSJJQ

Guys immediately become sisters when they sing along to Beyonce with you. Guys of A01, you know what I mean.

I think I've mentioned this before, but Steffi played this song on a very slow afternoon as we were all slogging over our Project Work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_m-BjrxmgI&ob=av3e

Then Justin brought us another hit:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOrnUquxtwA&ob=av3e

I remember this because that song was used in the first episode of the first season of Gossip Girl, when Serena van der Woodsen entered.

The few of us mugged at the school library to this song (we did little else then but study):


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvgZkm1xWPE&ob=av3n

Still, 2004 had the best songs. Pop rock ftw!They're feel-good, not sleazy, and don't take themselves too seriously. Who could hate them?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9fLbfzCqWw&ob=av2e



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K38xNqZvBJI&ob=av3e



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuK6n2Lkza0&ob=av2e

Remember Ipod used this song for their commercial?

Just a thought: what do they call the 2010's? What's happened to music since the noughties? I'm not a hater, but I just think there can be something better than the likes of Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, etc. Whatever happened to good old pop rock?

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Sneak peek!


I'm doing a quick survey: who would read on after this page?



Dreams only make as much sense as your state of mind.

What did it mean, then, for me to keep returning to that same dream for a month and counting?

The one where the annoying woman kept asking me to help them. The question of who they were aside, how was I supposed to do anything? I was the crazy girl people whispered and pointed at in school. I couldn’t even help myself.

Then there was the carnival. It was always night-time in that carnival. It had no name that I knew of, but it was ablaze with lights that never stopped dancing, alive with music that never stopped playing.

In that dream, I saw only the boy. People milled about, but they were only faceless figures. So was the boy, in fact, but his features were only slightly clearer.

I had never even met him before, but every time I saw him in my dream he was perched on the edge of one of the Ferris wheel’s capsules. He stood there for barely two seconds, a sea of carnival lights blinking beneath him, before he threw out his arms and dived off the Ferris wheel.

Always, I was too late. Too late to stop him, too late to even call out for him. Don’t! I wanted to say. But the word would die in my throat as I watched him plummet through the cold night air and finally crashed to the ground.

And then the lights go out totally. The music stops.

That’s when I’d feel the hands reaching out for me. Cold and clammy, tugging, wanting, needing – what, I didn’t know. A glance down and I’d see a mass of bodies lying at my feet, turning blue with each horrible second.

I would still be able to feel those hands on my skin, my ankles, my neck, even when I sit up in bed and discover that I was being straitjacketed by my sheets.

It was always that same dream. It had been that dream for a month. I didn’t know where I came up with a dream like that. A dream that didn’t sleep, that roosted there right in the middle of my head long after I’d woken up.

A dream where it was always midnight in a carnival of monsters.

This, by the way, is the first page of my first ever complete urban fantasy novel, THE DREAMCATCHERS. Thoughts?

Thursday, February 09, 2012

Some really good advice from Rosslyn Elliott: Why Your Novel Characters Need Real Flaws



Wouldn’t it be great if all my flaws were minor? But they’re not. And neither are anyone else’s.

As C.S. Lewis writes in The Screwtape Letters, even our greatest strengths are likely to become weaknesses under some circumstances. The same strong will and resourcefulness that helped Scarlett O’Hara survive the Civil War also made her a conniving homewrecker.

But we all know Scarlett O’Hara’s name, even though thousands of historical romance heroines have faded into oblivion. We remember Scarlett because Margaret Mitchell did a brilliant job of creating her heroine to walk the edge of likability. Scarlett’s flaws are all too real, and that means there are parts of Gone with the Wind in which we do not like her.

What is a real character flaw?

It’s a flaw that affects those around your character in a significant way, a weakness with serious consequences, not just angst or temporary hurt feelings.

Here’s the catch. When a leading character does things a reader doesn’t like, there’s a chance the reader will throw away that book. Or write a really negative review.

A writer may be tempted to solve this problem by creating a cosmetic character flaw. It hurts no one but its possessor. A cosmetic flaw is a victimless flaw. Even if it’s contorted so it causes some manufactured, preferably unintentional pain to other characters, the cosmetic flaw doesn’t cause any negative feeling in the reader.

Here’s an example from real life: what’s the clichéd answer for the classic job interview question: “What is your weakness?” To be safe, you’re supposed to say “I’m too hard on myself.” That’s a cosmetic flaw. Because the reality is that if you’re truly a perfectionist about your own work, chances are you may also be too hard on others, not just too hard on yourself. And that is when your cosmetic flaw turns into a real flaw. Real flaws are ugly and they hurt people.

Every cosmetic flaw is a victimless half of the real flaw it replaces. Here are two examples:

Cosmetic character flaw: Insecurity. Its real counterpart: envy and sabotage

Cosmetic character flaw: Fearfulness. Its real counterpart: disloyalty under pressure

We’re free to use cosmetic flaws if we want to write fiction that leaves no mark on its reader. But enduring books contain characters with real flaws, whether those books are hilarious comedies or moving dramas. If our goal is to stir deep emotions or joyful laughter, to show real love, to comfort the lonely, to make readers think or remember…our characters need real flaws. We can’t play it safe with our readers’ sympathy–we have to let them go to the edge.

My question for you:

How has the issue of reader sympathy affected your writing? Do your protagonists have real flaws that could bother a reader?

# # #

Rosslyn Elliott lives with her husband and daughter in the southern United States, where they enjoy working with horses and pampering their dogs. She earned her BA in English and Theater Studies from Yale University, and her Ph.D. from Emory University.

She has won awards for both her fiction and non-fiction, including the 2011 Laurel Award and the 2011 Lime Award for Fairer than Morning, which was also selected as one of Lifeway Fiction’s Ten Favorite Reads for 2011.

Rosslyn’s second novel Sweeter than Birdsong was just released by Thomas Nelson Publishing. Her fiction is represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books and Such Literary Agency.

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

It always feels anticlimatic after Chinese New Year. Gone are the days of the house being filled with sonorous relatives, the infectious festive buzz and the sound of melon seeds being cracked. Till next year. In the meantime, back to the grind. The refrigerator is still choking on mandarin oranges, and I'm doing my best to relieve it of them.

This semester, as expected, is one of the busiest ones I've experienced since my freshman year, mainly because I'm taking all five level-3 modules. That wouldn't be a problem, if it weren't for the group projects we're required to do. Group projects are almost always a pain, because of all the schedule-coordination and discussions we have to do. If I had my way, all the work will be done within the first week we're told of our assignments. But it is what it is, I guess.

Still, final semester! Four more months (and one extra term because I need to clear one last module to fulfil all my module credit requirements) and I'll be bidding school life goodbye. On the one hand, I'm excited to start earning a steady income. On the other, I'm dreading the entry into the cruel world. Of two minds? No, just eager for change and afraid of it, like we all are.

Unfortunately, much as I'd like to go on a self-indulgent soliloquy about post-graduation emancipation, I have four papers and three presentations to work on, as well as countless readings to catch up on. Till next time, then.

Top Five Writer’s Tips

by Swati Avasthi (author of YA novel, SPLIT).

5. Celebrate the mess.
I am not naturally neat. So, my life is cluttered with ways to keep my messes organized. Necessarily evils include: my ga-zillion sticky notes, my calendar, calendar reminders, weekly, daily, master, and manuscript to-do lists. Without them I get nothing of quality accomplished.
Unless we’re talking about the first draft of a novel. Then messy is good. Messy is productive – it just doesn’t look like it. First drafts are about playing, discovering and uncovering. Let go. Play in the mud, celebrate the slop, and see what you unearth.
Example: In the first draft of my current WIP, I introduced a 2 year old in the beginning of the book. Three months and around 200 pages later, he was 25. I ended up cutting him out altogether, but he was useful: his appearance taught me that my protagonist needed to be protective of someone (when he was 2), and by the end of the novel, needed a mentor (when he was 25). His appearance was my intuition talking. Respect your intuition. Messy as it is.

4. Learn to love revision.
Pouring out the story on to the page is wonderful. It’s a rush. But revision is even better. Are you groaning? Lots of writers I know hate revising. I love it. Here’s how I learned to love revision:
First, I assumed that every word I wrote would need to be re-written. Probably more than once. Probably more than twice. For Split, 8 was the magic number. Yep, 8 full drafts. 6 of them before I started agent-hunting looking for an agent. (Don’t actually hunt agents. Hungry as you are, they do fight back.)
Second, I learned that revising is pretty much the same thing as writing. You are still uncovering deeper levels of the story. But you are also discovering what the story is not about. Pull out all the distractions. Complicate all the moments where you are only doing one thing at a time.
Third, know when you are done revising: when you have a house of cards and removing one line, causes a cave in; when your critique group agrees; but most of all, when there are no more surprises left in the book for you, no nuance left to uncover.

3. Think, think, think.
Admit it. Your imagination is like a dog with a bone, gnawing at it to get at the rich marrow inside. Give your imagination a problem and then go for a walk, knit part of a scarf, or sleep on it. You’re likely to have the marrow out if your imagination keeps at it.
Or, go even farther and use method acting (preferably when no one is around) to explore your POV character. I once went grocery shopping as Jace. My kids were beyond thrilled when I came home with tons of junk food, and they learned what Little Debbie was.

2. Cultivate your Ideal Reader.
Your Ideal Reader is insightful, passionately opinionated and smart, especially about books. Your Ideal Reader will speaks in truths, both hard ones and kind ones. Your Ideal Reader gives you foot rubs and calls you a genius. Well, maybe not the last one. Find that person. If you’re lucky, it’s someone you already know. (For me, it is my husband) If you’re not, take writing classes and listen to hear whose opinion you respect. Share pages with a trusted friend. Or hire a book doctor, one who you are sure you can trust.
Then, listen. Your ideal reader is your ideal reader for a reason: you respect his opinion.
Then speak. If you don’t agree with his suggestions, talk about why. Don’t argue him out of his point. Rather, try to uncover what about the line or the moment is bothering your Ideal Reader. Once you understand, find an edit that accomplishes your goal and your Ideal Reader’s.
I can’t overstate the importance of an Ideal Reader. I can only say that Split could never have been written without mine.

1. Writing is no place for timidity. Write bravely. Write boldly. Write every day you can.