Isn't it interesting how you wait for something for so long, and then when it comes, it's over before you know it?
That's how the A.F. Writer's conference was for me. I actually enjoy public speaking (gasp! I know, I'm weird), so the ten minute speech wasn't something I was too worried about. But I was nervous for all the classes I was supposed to teach. Particularly because I was team teaching them with one or two other authors (except for one that I was alone for). I'd never met the other authors before, so I had no idea what to expect. Luckily, they were all lovely, and the classes were really fun to teach. Everyone there was so nice and had some great questions for us to answer. It was fun to meet new people and to get to interact with other authors and aspiring authors.
I guess I learned a good lesson. Most of the time, the things we are nervous about end up being no big deal--and in fact, oftentimes, they end up being a great time. I'm glad I got to participate, and thank everyone who was so kind to me and everyone else involved.
How was your weekend? Can you believe it's May? The weather is forecasted to FINALLY be warmer this week. Hurray!
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Monday, May 2, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Taking Feedback
Wow, I knew you guys were good! Thanks for all the advice you shared on Monday. Seriously, you all rock.
So here's the question for today:
What's one thing to remember or do when taking feedback?
I'm also teaching a class on taking feedback. I'm excited for this one, because I've had to learn a lot over the years about this very subject. Feedback can be a tricky thing. You have to remember that someone took the time to read and critique your book for you. They cared enough to spend hours if not days working on helping you--whether you think every edit they gave is golden, or whether you completely disagreed with all of it, or fell somewhere in the middle.
It's easy to get offended when someone tries to tell you about something that didn't work in your book. But to be successful as a writer, you have to not only get past the urge to get offended, you have to be able and willing to listen, to contemplate it, and to make appropriate changes based on the feedback you get. It's a process that doesn't end with CPs. Your agent, and your editor will both do the same thing. It's also important as a CP to understand how the author you're working with assimilates the feedback. Everyone has a different way of understanding and absorbing edits, and you can't get offended by how someone takes the critiques you offered.
So tell me, what are your tricks and tips for taking feedback? I'm excited to share some of mine at this conference, but I know you probably have some great ones I haven't thought of. Thanks again for sharing!
Happy Wednesday!
So here's the question for today:
What's one thing to remember or do when taking feedback?
I'm also teaching a class on taking feedback. I'm excited for this one, because I've had to learn a lot over the years about this very subject. Feedback can be a tricky thing. You have to remember that someone took the time to read and critique your book for you. They cared enough to spend hours if not days working on helping you--whether you think every edit they gave is golden, or whether you completely disagreed with all of it, or fell somewhere in the middle.
It's easy to get offended when someone tries to tell you about something that didn't work in your book. But to be successful as a writer, you have to not only get past the urge to get offended, you have to be able and willing to listen, to contemplate it, and to make appropriate changes based on the feedback you get. It's a process that doesn't end with CPs. Your agent, and your editor will both do the same thing. It's also important as a CP to understand how the author you're working with assimilates the feedback. Everyone has a different way of understanding and absorbing edits, and you can't get offended by how someone takes the critiques you offered.
So tell me, what are your tricks and tips for taking feedback? I'm excited to share some of mine at this conference, but I know you probably have some great ones I haven't thought of. Thanks again for sharing!
Happy Wednesday!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Help please!
Happy Monday everyone!
As some of you may be aware, I am speaking and teaching at a local writer's conference in a couple of weeks. I'm excited but nervous about this opportunity. Mostly because I want to do a really good job. I want to be interesting, and funny, and entertaining, but also informative and helpful and yeah, the list goes on. That's not too much to expect from myself, right? Heh, heh. Um...
This is where you come in. I have quite a range of topics to teach during the day, and I already have a good idea of how I'm going to approach them. However, I think it would be interesting and informative to hear what some of your thoughts are. I'm going to be asking for your help or feedback on a few things to help me put together the absolute best presentations possible. My hope is that by taking what I've already thought up, and adding to it with your insights, I will be able to accomplish my previously mentioned goals. Cause let's face it, chances are ya'll are way smarter than me anyway. ;)
So first up: blogging. I am supposed to teach two different classes on blogging, one on how to gain more followers and one on making your blog a success. There are many of you who have waaaay more followers than me, and are definitely much more successful bloggers than I am, so for today here are my questions: (you can pick one of the three, or answer all three if you want)
What is the #1 best piece of advice you could give someone on how to make their blog a success/or to gain more followers?
What is something about my blog that you think makes it "successful" or made you want to become a follower?
What is something a blogger SHOULDN'T do if they want to accomplish either goal?
Thank you for your help! Hopefully I can do a good job on the 30th. *bites nails* *except not really, because I'm not actually a nail biter, but you know, figuratively speaking*
The funny thing about being asked to teach this class is that I don't think of my blog as a "success." Not in the way that I'd imagine a class would expect their teacher's blog to be. I don't have 1,000+ followers, or 50 comments on each post. But then I thought about it, and I realized that for me it is a success. When I get comments telling me how much a certain post meant to someone, or I meet a new friend through my blog, or someone tells me they are going to bookmark my post because it was so helpful to them... that is a great success in my book. And a year ago, I wouldn't have dreamed of having 300 hundred people following my blog, let alone 1,000. So, no. I don't have as "big" of a blog as quite a few, but I guess for me, it IS a little bit of a success after all. :)
As some of you may be aware, I am speaking and teaching at a local writer's conference in a couple of weeks. I'm excited but nervous about this opportunity. Mostly because I want to do a really good job. I want to be interesting, and funny, and entertaining, but also informative and helpful and yeah, the list goes on. That's not too much to expect from myself, right? Heh, heh. Um...
This is where you come in. I have quite a range of topics to teach during the day, and I already have a good idea of how I'm going to approach them. However, I think it would be interesting and informative to hear what some of your thoughts are. I'm going to be asking for your help or feedback on a few things to help me put together the absolute best presentations possible. My hope is that by taking what I've already thought up, and adding to it with your insights, I will be able to accomplish my previously mentioned goals. Cause let's face it, chances are ya'll are way smarter than me anyway. ;)
So first up: blogging. I am supposed to teach two different classes on blogging, one on how to gain more followers and one on making your blog a success. There are many of you who have waaaay more followers than me, and are definitely much more successful bloggers than I am, so for today here are my questions: (you can pick one of the three, or answer all three if you want)
What is the #1 best piece of advice you could give someone on how to make their blog a success/or to gain more followers?
What is something about my blog that you think makes it "successful" or made you want to become a follower?
What is something a blogger SHOULDN'T do if they want to accomplish either goal?
Thank you for your help! Hopefully I can do a good job on the 30th. *bites nails* *except not really, because I'm not actually a nail biter, but you know, figuratively speaking*
The funny thing about being asked to teach this class is that I don't think of my blog as a "success." Not in the way that I'd imagine a class would expect their teacher's blog to be. I don't have 1,000+ followers, or 50 comments on each post. But then I thought about it, and I realized that for me it is a success. When I get comments telling me how much a certain post meant to someone, or I meet a new friend through my blog, or someone tells me they are going to bookmark my post because it was so helpful to them... that is a great success in my book. And a year ago, I wouldn't have dreamed of having 300 hundred people following my blog, let alone 1,000. So, no. I don't have as "big" of a blog as quite a few, but I guess for me, it IS a little bit of a success after all. :)
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