Happy Easter and Happy Passover! And something to keep in mind when gauging a reader's reaction...
As we watched the old Ten Commandments movie last night--so good, even the kids enjoyed it (though they laughed at the outdated special effects), it occurred to me how much history and cause for celebration we share as Christians and Jews. We tend to forget that and focus on the differences and think of Passover as a specifically Jewish holiday, but the Passover's really not something Christians can't/shouldn't marvel at, too, Jesus being a Jew who celebrated the holiday. It was his God who passed over those marked doors, our God, all of our God.
It's a beautiful out here and I hope you are all enjoying your day much as I am!
On a brief writing-related note, my 16-year-old daughter was just reading a book outside (I won't say the title, but it's a mass market YA book by an author who's published multiple books and at least one series, a book she picked it up off her older sister's bookshelf out of boredom the other day) and as I walked by this daughter #2, who's not a very big reader, she looked up at me and said, "How did this get published? I mean if this got published, yours definitely should be. I don't get it."
"Well, it must have a good plot," I said. "You don't often read when you don't have to and you're reading it quickly."
She shrugged and wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, but it's not very well written."
"Tell me," I asked, "what's better about the plot of that book than the plot of my books?"
"I didn't say the plot was better; you did," said #2.
"Yes, but you're reading that book so much faster than you read mine," I said. "Well written or not, you're really enjoying it."
"Mom, I enjoy reading your books!" she said, somewhat exasperated with me. "I just already know how your stories are going to go by the time I read them."
And I left it at that. That's something to remember when considering a friend/family member/critique group member's reaction to your story. If you really want to see how a story grabs them (or doesn't), see if you can keep quiet about it until it's done.
It's a beautiful out here and I hope you are all enjoying your day much as I am!
On a brief writing-related note, my 16-year-old daughter was just reading a book outside (I won't say the title, but it's a mass market YA book by an author who's published multiple books and at least one series, a book she picked it up off her older sister's bookshelf out of boredom the other day) and as I walked by this daughter #2, who's not a very big reader, she looked up at me and said, "How did this get published? I mean if this got published, yours definitely should be. I don't get it."
"Well, it must have a good plot," I said. "You don't often read when you don't have to and you're reading it quickly."
She shrugged and wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, but it's not very well written."
"Tell me," I asked, "what's better about the plot of that book than the plot of my books?"
"I didn't say the plot was better; you did," said #2.
"Yes, but you're reading that book so much faster than you read mine," I said. "Well written or not, you're really enjoying it."
"Mom, I enjoy reading your books!" she said, somewhat exasperated with me. "I just already know how your stories are going to go by the time I read them."
And I left it at that. That's something to remember when considering a friend/family member/critique group member's reaction to your story. If you really want to see how a story grabs them (or doesn't), see if you can keep quiet about it until it's done.