I’ve spent a bit of time thinking about this sort of thing, and Carol pointed out that reading a novel is kind of like a dialogue, and we need to isten to the readers to be able to please them. If some thing/item/thread is of interest, we work to bring it out more, and I see that it’s the same for characters as well.

So I think that if Character B is more interesting/has a better story/whatevs, then it’s up to me to be flexible enough to work with that, and make the whole text better.

I’ve generally been able to see both sides of it — there are some major changes I’m willing to consider, but then there are some suggestions which would fundamentally change the point of why I’m doing the story, which end up in the “nuh” file. Cause even if it might be more interesting for some readers, I need to keep my own interest up enough, or I’ll never finish the wretched thing!

I think we’ve already had this conversation.

The play we’re currently writing now, was initially based on Facebook. Now there’s little, if any, reference to it.

“Kill your darlings” as someone once said.

Hmmm, I resemble your remark!

I’m slowly learning that a cull means more than just words, but ideas, characters and all the rest. In some cases it’s probably down to the writer to find that new angle or idea. I know my issue can be a desire to write my own ideas. No matter how good an idea from a critique might be, I’d like to sell a story based on my own ideas AND writing, not just writing someone else’s ideas well. So perhaps the trick in critique is to point out that a story isn’t working and maybe flesh out why without suggesting a better idea… just keep saying no till the writer comes up with a better idea on their own! Geez, we’re a precious lot after all.

*slinks away, feeling spanked*

*sigh*

This is the main reason that we just reject at TPP with “a no thank you” rather than engaging in feedback that might lead to a story that we might buy,

In general, in my experience, when I give feedback to a writer and they tell me that’s all nice and good but not the story they want to tell, I politely smile and walk away. It’s not the story I want to buy.

The harsh honest truth is, most people can’t write, most people can’t write well and most people are boring and can’t see themselves from the outside looking in. The really successful writers I have worked with take on feedback and are able to step away from the preciousness of the little words that they put on the page in the little order that they originally composed them. The difference I guess between writing what you want, the way you want it written and making a sale and perhaps a career out of the gig.

Oh dear, this is going to sound weird. But, without meaning to get all akashic, it’s not *my* story, I’m *its* writer! As I noted in one of my progress posts for the second draft, of the three seed ideas for “Necromance”, the concepts that really got the project started, not one remains in the text (I mourn the giant squid). The story grows and matures, taking its own path. External comments are definitely a part of this, but more in the way of – digestion? Assimilation? Anyway, after a two hour session with one of my invaluable beta readers on Wednesday, the *next* book has restructured itself almost completely – part his thoughts, part my own, mostly spontaneous. I just recorded the process!