A Frank and Fearless Kiss from Katie

Did I mention I won a critique from Katie Fforde?  Through the Authors for Japan fundraiser, I had the winning bid for a critique on the first 1000 words of a manuscript.  Yes, Katie Fforde, the best selling British romance novelist, with a staggering 16 novels penned, and counting, she is a living legend!  Was I over the moon?  Ahem, hanging from the rafters, swinging from the chandeliers, dear friends.

When anyone else reads your work, what you want is an honest opinion, what works, what you need to improve on. It's not every day you get the opportunity for a great lady like Kate to read your work.  What I got was a frank and fearless critique, which quite frankly, had me both excited and nervous.  Of course, there was slapping of forehead in recognition of where I needed to improve, but it also left me grinning like a Cheshire cat, above all, it's spurred me on.  Thank you Katie!

Editing is about improving our WIPs, making them the best that they can be.  I'm reviewing the beginning of mine with this in mind.  The beginning of your story is crucial because you need to set a little of the scene, and create enough interest to keep your reader...well, reading?  In the first 1000 words of your story, do you have a hook?  If not, how soon do you bring it in, and also do you think the genre you write dictates the timing of the hook?

Comments

mooderino said…
I think you were being a little hard on yourself. I say , adorn away!
Stina said…
I'm examining my first act today after one of my brilliant beta readers made me realize some big things about my plot, internal motivation, goal, and theme that I hadn't noticed before. Thanks to all her questions, I'm able to make the beginning stronger, and it'll work even better with the ending. :D
Sylvia Ney said…
Congratulations on this amazing win!
Pauline Barclay said…
Congratulations....you must be have felt 10 feet tall. x
Danette said…
Good for you for being critical and continuing to work at your craft! Cheers to you! Hope your having a lovely day... Happy writing! (it's a holiday here) *clink*
Dean Crawford said…
Very well done Talei, that's great news! Acting on critical advice is essential for any author: you'll go far :o)
LynNerdKelley said…
Wow, congratulations on winning the critique. Sounds like you got some gems of advice from Katie. Good going, Talei!
Meredith said…
What an amazing experience! It's always so great to get honest feedback, and from an author--that's just priceless. I'm off to see if my book has enough of a hook in the first 1,000 words now... :)
Baiba said…
Congratulations :)
Talli Roland said…
Katie is fantastic. I've met her a few times through the RNA and she's so warm and lovely.
notesfromnadir said…
All I can say is that if someone's written & published 16 books listen carefully to any & all advice they offer!
Katie Dodge said…
Critique from anyone is a little scary, but almost always a good thing. Congrats! :) (I just hopped over from Kimberly Krey's blog and thought I'd say hi :)
TL Conway said…
Congrats on the great win! I am just now re-writing my WIP from the top and am paying very close attention to the first chapter. It *all* has to be good, but I need to make sure I set the bar high on this rewrite so I don't get lazy again!
Congratulations on getting a critique from an author you admire. We can only learn from our mistakes (once someone points them out), right? Good luck. Glad you're inspired!
Anonymous said…
Very cool! Now that is some prize!!
Carol Kilgore said…
Very cool prize. And so good you're now pumped :)
My WiP is mystery, and I have a hook on the first page.

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