Dolphins and Ninjas, plus the joy of creativity.

I’m loving the title of this one. So this is the June Blog and hopefully, no one has the slightest idea what it is about from the title.

It’s about taking and giving criticism. My mate Kevin and I swap our beloved manuscripts and comment on them for each other. This is where the dolphins and Ninjas come in. You see when you are face planted in your own work of genius you don’t see your mistakes. An unfair quantity of mistakes hide from you like the infamous Ninja.

The pair of us, hand over our beloved work for criticism, to help us find these problems. I’m not a complete idiot, I know in reality, what I write isn’t actually perfect. There are numerous errors to choose from, you know, talking heads, white room, head-hopping, filter words and passages of tell, where there should be show. And that’s before we start on typos or grammar.

There is no competition between us, in our criticism, it’s not who can find the worst/most mistakes. It’s not even fun. In either direction. Having finished a second or third draft, handed it over, a near-perfect product, then to get your work returned, with errors pointed out, in the first one hundred words, is not fun.

And unless you are evil, mean, (other words are available.) Well, it is no fun to destroy something, you know your mate has worked on. Has taken a lot of time and effort to produce.

So why do it? Two reasons:

First I want to improve my work, I understand my own mistakes hide from me, like those aforementioned ninjas. Those same mistakes, meanwhile, leap from the page soon as Kevin reads it; you guessed it, like dolphins! The same is happening back at my place, whenever I read a piece of Kevin’s work.

Kevin and I, are almost mirror images of each other. Both working really hard on projects we have imagined and created, nurtured and loved. Both aware we are too close to see the issues. The ninjas hiding in the manuscript and both slapped in the face by flying dolphins, soon as we read the other guys work. Which is why you need that fresh pair of eyes. And family members who love everything you do, that’s nice but it’s not going to help you improve.

And secondly, well, Kevin is my mate. When you watch those talent shows and some idiot who can’t carry a tune, hold a note, or in general sing. When those people are featured in the early programs and we all laugh at their delusion. I have to think to myself, “where are their mates?” Where are the true friends who are saying, “sure I support you but you do realise, you can’t actually sing don’t you?” Who would allow their mate to go and make a complete chump of themselves, in public?
I’m pointing out errors to a mate, the spinach between his teeth, the gravy down his tie, the fact his shoelace isn’t done up. And I want that same level of friendship in return. Granted it’s not nice to have your faults pointed out but once I have managed to stop crying. I return to my work better informed.

Oh two points at this stage, both relate to the fact my piece of work, my writing, is always mine. First I can, and Kevin can too, reject any criticism if we don’t agree with it. This is the default start position. Take a couple of days, don’t defend your work, think on. Second, you own all your mistakes, if someone is kind enough to read something you have written, point out the errors they note, great, thanks. But in future when you spot even more errors, well, these mistakes are yours and yours to find. Anyone helping is helping.

Time to point out too. If you find yourself having to explain items of a plot to convince someone who has just read your book, that this isn’t a mistake. Then can I suggest you either, work this explanation into the book or include your phone number in your novel so readers can call you and you can explain this point to them individually.

After all that, a brief moment on the joys, a happy ending, if you will.

I personally enjoy the process of writing, nourishing the initial idea, first draft, editing, polishing. The whole process. When I write, think up an idea, start a new story or even edit a previous one, I’m doing something I enjoy. Even if only five people in the world ever read my books I’d still write them. As mentioned in a previous blog, actually getting a review, is like hearing off an old friend.

By the way, I’m currently, carrying four un-started, held back, ideas while writing a Killer Robot tale and an alternative Victorian England novel. Plus I am banning myself from having new ideas. This is also part the joy. Not the holding back but the knowing even once these next two books are done, there are four more waiting and I'm also, holding back an unknown quantity of other ideas.

Having mentioned the projects I’m working on I should mention. The killer robot story needs an extensive re-write thanks to the kind of feedback from above. The alternative Victorian novel needs an ending. Well, I know how it ends but I don’t know the path, from where I’ve got to, to where we end up. No, I’m not lost, just… Well, searching for a link.

So, this flowering of the new, this creativity is great. I love it. I enjoy the whole process, I’m bringing something into the universe. I want to produce the best version of this creation I can. Therefore any help, to remove the flaw is a welcome input to the product.

My mate Kevin by the way. Kevin Faulkner, check out his books on Amazon, maybe even buy one. It’s up to you.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kevin-Faulkn...


As ever, thank you for your time, hope you enjoyed the June blog. TJ.