Friends I've Met Along the Way by Vonnie Davis

As writers, we should know our market audience, or so experts tell us. So, who am I writing for? Professional women, young mothers, or women of a certain age? Most of the time I feel as if I'm writing for other writers--which isn't necessarily a bad thing. To date, they've been my most vocal readers and reviewers. So when someone poo-poohs marketing to authors, I get a little hot under the bra strap. After all, authors read. I know I devour two books a week. What about you?

Other writers have become more than the building blocks of my fan base, they've become online friends, too. If I'm going through a string of migraines, these ladies commiserate with me. They email to see how I am. If I'm upset over a character who won't cooperate with my storyline, my fellow romance writers encourage me to plow ahead. We joke. We email racy pics. We cheer for each other's successes. In essence, we are a team with each member working on a different project.

They are friends I've met along the way!

 

Frankly, I'd be lost without them. Had someone told me in, say, 1990 that one day I would have oodles and oodles of friends around the world that I would cherish, even though I'd never met them, I would have backed away, my eyes frantically searching for the nearest exit door. But the Internet has gifted us with these acquaintances--and we cherish them. At least I do. So for all of you lovely ladies whom I've never met...

 

 



The Value of Critique Partners by Vonnie Davis

I've been blessed with awesome Critique Partners (CP). My first writing buddy lived on the other side of the country. We were paired-up through a CP service at From the Heart Romance Writers. Kind of like match dot com for writers. Our relationship flourished as emails zipped back and forth. She was so much help. I will always have a deep fondness for this talented lady. Then she became ill and for a long while could not do much online. Even so, we kept in touch via emails and facebook posts--and still do.

 

Meanwhile, I kept on writing without my second pair of eyes, my writing conscience. I missed my CP's warm wit, her goofy, snarky remarks and her blasting my "odd use of commas." Hey, what can I say...if I want my reader to stop and take a breath, I put in a comma. Lawd, I love a good comma.

 

 

Recently another writer and I were approached by an author in England. Did we want to be CP's with her? Did I???? I nearly broke a nail clicking on the REPLY icon. I was thrilled.

 

 

The three of us are a great match. Although I feel I take more than I give, especially these last 3 weeks when I've been writing a story with a March 15th deadline. My CP's knew how stressed I was and never failed to give me prompt and "spot on" critiques. Bless their hawk-eyed expertise.

 

But what do critique partners do? First off they point out grammatical errors, like misuse of commas. (Drats!!!) They make remarks about your hero not acting very "hero worthy." They ask questions like, "Would your heroine really behave this way?" Or bring you up short with "I don't get this." (Yikes!!! Rewrites required.) They stick in exclamation points and smiley faces when you've done something right. And they point out holes in your plot.

 

In short, Critique Partners are invaluable.

 

I get too emotionally wrapped up in my story. I don't see the inconsistencies. They do. I miss things like putting my reactions ahead of the action. Or that dratted "telling" issue instead of "showing." Some things I can do well. Other areas I'm weak. Slowly they're teaching me. And for that, I'm grateful.

 

Critique Partners should never try to change your voice, but strive to help you enhance it.

 

Not all CP's are a good fit. CP's need to praise as equally as they criticize. CP's should pull the best out of you, not make you feel as if you can do nothing right. The three of us write in very different styles, yet each respects the other's way of writing. That's why mine are the best. They let me be me.

 

So, to Sue, AJ and Rachel, love and hugs for all your help on my journey through Author Land. I love ya all to pieces. Mwaaaa!