taragwrites.com

Life is starting to come at me hard. Last night I pushed back on it a little.

I belong to an online critique group that has a once-a-week critique session and last night was my turn to present. I threw the first three chapters of my lower grade novel out there.

It went well. The suggestions and criticisms, for the most part, made sense. A couple of the group members admitted they read little in this genre and their suggestions didn’t fit a book framed for third to fifth graders. That was fine. I was grateful that they took the time to read it, make notes to share, and comment.

Now, I feel like I’m on the right track, although some of the later action may have to be moved forward. Not a major rewrite. The plot elements in the first three chapters resonated with the group. From the comments, I need to beef up the main character. I was concerned about wordiness but the consensus was they would be well spent words.

I only wish the financial situation could be handled as easily.