ENVY
Sometimes as a writer you have a story written in your head and you forget that readers are not psychic and therefore can't read your thoughts. This was the case with my latest release Envy. Usually, I run the finished manuscript pass my younger sister and she tells me what works and what doesn't. We don't always agree on all aspects of the story, but she is usually able to pinpoints areas when my writing is not clear or simple errors e.g. when I've used the wrong character's name.
We have both been busy recently, so I published Envy without her input. This weekend she was finally able to read it and basically told me that the story didn't convince her. She liked the concept but thought the execution was poor. Another friend also liked the story but pointed out areas where it could be improved. The story got 2 three-star reviews on Goodreads, which is quite generous now when I look at the story with fresh eyes.
All writers love 5-star reviews and I'm no exception, but I have found that my biggest growth as a writer has come from less flattering, honest reviews. I'm going to re-work the story and I hope that anyone who bought the Kindle eBook previously will take the time to download the new version and let me know if the new version is an improvement. In the meanwhile, feel free to download a PDF copy of the old version from my website and let me know what you think. I will take all comments into consideration because my role as a writer is to entertain readers, to transport them to another world while they read my books.
I appreciate feedback, good and bad, thanks.
We have both been busy recently, so I published Envy without her input. This weekend she was finally able to read it and basically told me that the story didn't convince her. She liked the concept but thought the execution was poor. Another friend also liked the story but pointed out areas where it could be improved. The story got 2 three-star reviews on Goodreads, which is quite generous now when I look at the story with fresh eyes.
All writers love 5-star reviews and I'm no exception, but I have found that my biggest growth as a writer has come from less flattering, honest reviews. I'm going to re-work the story and I hope that anyone who bought the Kindle eBook previously will take the time to download the new version and let me know if the new version is an improvement. In the meanwhile, feel free to download a PDF copy of the old version from my website and let me know what you think. I will take all comments into consideration because my role as a writer is to entertain readers, to transport them to another world while they read my books.
I appreciate feedback, good and bad, thanks.
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Kim
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Jul 12, 2011 07:21AM
Can't wait to read the re-worked version because I really loved Soca Nights. I'll skip the freebie for now....stay positive.
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Hey Kim,I must swing by Twitter and see what you've been getting up to.
I hope my blog didn't come across as negative. I wasn't unhappy with the feedback and I consider any review about 2-stars to be good.
Envy was a little story I had written a while back that was lying idle on my computer. As I wasn't in the mood to edit a longer manuscript I thought that I would brush Envy up and finally publish it. It was meant to be wacky and a little crazy, but with the feedback, especially the totally negative reaction from my sister, I can now see how much better the story could be.
The re-worked version will be quite different, so it's perhaps better to wait for it.
Take care.
Lexy xxxx
You're blog wasn't negative at all. It was honest and very refreshing. Most authors probably wouldn't take down a book and re-work it. I think it's a good move.~Kim
I don't always amend stories based on feedback, but in this case all the comments I received were on spot. Right away I could see what the story lacked. Not everyone likes Soca Nights, but for me that story has been written to the best of my ability and I would only ever made minor changes to it. Envy, on the other hand, was rushed and I hadn't taken the time to see it from a reader's perspective.This has been good for my continued growth as a writer, so all in all I'm pleased. Take care.
Lexy xxxx
