Editorial Feedback

I entered a writing contest at the beginning of the summer. The entry requirements were to submit the first 10 pages. I had just started on my Summer Challenge, but I did have an early draft of my first chapter, so I decided to submit an entry. This contest had the perks of getting editorial feedback so it would be worth entering no matter what the results.

So, the result was the I didn’t win the contest. No biggie there. But I did get some editorial feedback, which honestly to me, was a win.

The editor made some valid points for some weak spots, which included pacing, sense of place, and hook. One of the things the struck me was that the editor felt she knew more about the secondary character than the main character and that I needed to shift the focus. As for the hook, she suggested that I get to the paranormal element quickly to intrigue the reader.

The good things that she pointed out were that the novel synopsis was very marketable and the sample pages had engaging characters, appealing voice, and solid writing.

The feedback gives me something to ponder. First of all, it makes me wonder if this novel is starting in the right place. Although the first scenes in Chapter 1 have changed slightly—it could always use more work.

This is thing with drafts—more than likely your first chapter may end up disappearing or be drastically different from the original version.

But to me, this is what revision is all about. Tackling the structural problems in a novel—fixing inconsistencies and trying to get the story in its best form. Those are things that that can be fixed.

But it also helps that at least I’m getting the voice and the characters right. That is a lot harder to fix—although it can be done.

So I’m continuing on with the Act 1 scenes. It’s taking much longer than I thought. But with the help of this editorial critique, it may help me better structure my opening chapters.