Writing

SheilaT

(23,156 posts)

6. An agent or an editor would be far more brutal than a writing group.

Mon Apr 28, 2014, 07:50 AM

Apr 2014

I'm just finishing up at a writers conference. The Pikes Peak Writers Conference, to be specific.

One of the sessions I attended was An Agent Reads the Slush Pile. Actually, a reader read aloud the first two pages of the submissions, and the agent would stop, comment, explain why she was stopping, what was wrong. It was incredibly eye-opening. The two pages I turned in didn't get read. Actually, they only got to about half of the submissions. I think I actually got a lot more than I would have had she gotten to mine, because after a bit I realized she probably would have stopped after the first or second paragraph. While her critiquing of others' work was happening, I was editing my pages. Wow. I got a lot out of it.

Do try a writers conference of two. They are amazing. At least the good ones are.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

20 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

So I finally found a critical reading group. [View all] Squinch Apr 2014 OP

It can rip your gut out.... CherokeeDem Apr 2014 #1

Part of what surprises me is that Squinch Apr 2014 #4

I loved the writing part.... CherokeeDem Apr 2014 #5

Right now my neighbor is tearing my baby apart Savannahmann Apr 2014 #2

This is what I am learning. Squinch Apr 2014 #3

An agent or an editor would be far more brutal than a writing group. SheilaT Apr 2014 #6

Any in the East that you would recommend? Squinch Apr 2014 #8

I haven't been to any in the east. SheilaT Apr 2014 #10

It IS difficult! Brainstormy Apr 2014 #7

Yes, I am seeing that this is the trick: who do you listen to and who do you discount. Squinch Apr 2014 #9

What's especially difficult SheilaT Apr 2014 #11

Good luck with that. I'm going to have to look into more workshops. Squinch Apr 2014 #12

Hi Squinch! I just discovered this group. pnwmom Jun 2014 #13

Pnwmom! Hi! I have a mystery novel that has Squinch Jun 2014 #14

What do you mean by good feedback from an agent? SheilaT Jun 2014 #15

She said it was not ready for publication, but she Squinch Jun 2014 #16

I sincerely hope you are working on those changes. SheilaT Jun 2014 #17

. Squinch Jun 2014 #18

I'm glad you found a group! CrispyQ Jul 2014 #19

I just had a critique where they pointed out a problem that is pretty big, and I knew it was in Squinch Jul 2014 #20