Bob's Write from the Start: Just Finished

Bob's Write from the Start

Bob’s Write from the Start, a blog sharing the roller coaster ride of this renewing writer’s feelings and actual experiences, began March 2017. That January, I began with a two-sentence contribution to a local Writing Group. I am now a Guest Columnist for a local paper and have contributed to small and online magazines. My comments for new and renewing writers? Start by starting. Join a writing group. You are unique but not alone. Once you start work, you will not be in Kansas anymore.

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Just Finished - Is It Any Good At All?

One of the benefits of reading your work aloud to a Writing Group is that the feedback you receive is, in my experience, and from what I have observed with others, supportive and kind. If you receive an enthusiastic reaction, then your colleagues are happy either with the result, or with your progress, or enthusiasm or courage - or something. Maybe a couple of those things together at the same time.

And, if the members of the group, especially but not necessarily only the experienced published members, say you should submit it and, even better, name the place to submit it to, then you can have some confidence that the result is competitive in the marketplace, even if the market pay is publishing it for zero dollars.

On the other hand, when an experienced person gives you an assignment for actual publication in, admittedly, a small chain of community newspapers and 'only' 500 words, and you struggle for uncountable hours writing the so-and-so thing, and the type of assignment is our of your 'comfort zone' (even if it's false comfort), then there is real-world anxiety.

Is it any good? Sorry it's so late. I know it's not exactly what you expected (ain't that the truth). I hope I didn't let you down. I'm not at all sure it's any good at all - not just below par, you understand, but maybe not any good at all.

I've been working on it so focused over so many hours, I can't tell any more.

I guess what I'm saying is that if you feel this way, you're not alone.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home

About Me

Name: Bob's Write From The Start

Location: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada

Born, raised and living in Sarnia, Ontario, Bob Boulton began writing poetry, short stories and humorous articles for his high school newspaper in the period just after dinosaurs roamed the earth. His article on the mysteries of the Chess Club was particularly well-received. Bob’s excruciatingly naive teenage sonnet was published with positive mention in the high school yearbook. In University he wrote pretty much indecipherable essays on Existentialism and Phenomenology. Then, early in his working career, Bob also wrote short feature articles in the now-defunct (not his fault) Weston York Times. For this, he was paid $5.00 per article, which didn’t quite cover his transportation and parking costs. Then after a short break of thirty-five or forty years as an executive and leadership coach, Bob reactivated his passion for writing. The alternatives he considered were learning to yodel or trying to play the bagpipes. Bob’s loving and supportive family voted enthusiastically, and quickly, for writing.