tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post4098987648587660705..comments2024-03-28T02:34:34.041-07:00Comments on Rachna's Scriptorium: First Chapter MakeoversRachna Chhabriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900999965919504282noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-244667503050129832016-03-30T23:58:06.664-07:002016-03-30T23:58:06.664-07:00It's so hard to mess with your first chapter (...It's so hard to mess with your first chapter (at least for me). Happy that the agent helped you; it's always great to get feedback that positively impacts your work.<br />Ninja GirlNinja Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00901215698632029838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-8721378541772220922016-03-30T08:13:06.789-07:002016-03-30T08:13:06.789-07:00That's the good thing about extra eyes. Someti...That's the good thing about extra eyes. Sometimes they see things we miss because we're too close to the story.Cherie Reichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-50906026241060287532016-03-29T04:05:51.340-07:002016-03-29T04:05:51.340-07:00Any criticism, if taken in the right spirit is alw...Any criticism, if taken in the right spirit is always a boon and more so coming from a knowlegable source, Rachna:)Rahul Bhatiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09690287853990880735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-39882760696285174522016-03-29T03:25:49.648-07:002016-03-29T03:25:49.648-07:00Madeline, more often than not our first few pages ...Madeline, more often than not our first few pages are slow on the action bit. And we also tend to weigh it down with backstory and narration, instead of perking it up with scene action.<br />Rachna Chhabriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16900999965919504282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-92131151601751713392016-03-29T03:22:43.066-07:002016-03-29T03:22:43.066-07:00Alex, I weighed the suggestions. Mulled over it fo...Alex, I weighed the suggestions. Mulled over it for a day or two. Only after they resonated with me, I made the changes. I just added some story action and removed the internal narration bit weighing the pages down. Kind of tweaked it. Rachna Chhabriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16900999965919504282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-47214233461582602842016-03-29T03:20:03.581-07:002016-03-29T03:20:03.581-07:00Natalie, I have that particular problem; I am not ...Natalie, I have that particular problem; I am not able to see the flaws in my writing, unless and until my critique partners point it out to me.Rachna Chhabriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16900999965919504282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-83533537732633307732016-03-29T03:18:53.653-07:002016-03-29T03:18:53.653-07:00Patricia, my critique partner too is quick to reco...Patricia, my critique partner too is quick to recognize slow pacing. I think sometimes we need an agent's critical eye to assess the pages and pinpoint the flaws in it.Rachna Chhabriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16900999965919504282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-44067950305322712122016-03-29T03:16:19.423-07:002016-03-29T03:16:19.423-07:00Richard, initially I was in two minds: whether to ...Richard, initially I was in two minds: whether to send my pages or not. Then I realized such opportunities don't come often.Rachna Chhabriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16900999965919504282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-40866362569327442162016-03-29T03:15:12.534-07:002016-03-29T03:15:12.534-07:00Patrick, the agent's feedback was absolutely o...Patrick, the agent's feedback was absolutely on the spot. Looking at my pages through the agent's eyes, I see how the first few pages of my story are weighed down with so much narration, there is no scene action to keep the reader reading. I wonder how I overlooked it :(Rachna Chhabriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16900999965919504282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-43402749769055057392016-03-25T19:43:11.276-07:002016-03-25T19:43:11.276-07:00This is interesting. I feel like I'll probabl...This is interesting. I feel like I'll probably have the opposite problem when if I start writing novels (with better intent to finish them). Being a short fiction writer, I put only enough flesh on the bones to keep the story alive. I don't believe I've ever overhauled a story because of feedback someone else has given me. I've done it because of feedback I gave myself though.Patrick Stahlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09690555802232025818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-44713892624989801672016-03-25T13:08:36.892-07:002016-03-25T13:08:36.892-07:00Good for you, Rachna. Opportunities like that don&...Good for you, Rachna. Opportunities like that don't come along very often.writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-71709577228156410442016-03-25T09:27:27.405-07:002016-03-25T09:27:27.405-07:00My critique group is pretty good about recognizing...My critique group is pretty good about recognizing slowed pacing, especially in beginnings. It's funny how we often can see the flaws in someone else's chapter but totally miss the flaws in our own. :DPatricia Stolteyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17192369425956406122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-92139138298567530962016-03-25T05:15:57.394-07:002016-03-25T05:15:57.394-07:00Excellent, Rachna! During a critique, an agent tol...Excellent, Rachna! During a critique, an agent told me my first 40 pages were too slow and wanted me to condense it into 20. He was so right!Madeline Mora-Summontehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05529397293165046430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-72389071330644137622016-03-25T04:50:08.890-07:002016-03-25T04:50:08.890-07:00Glad you jumped at the opportunity. Saved yourself...Glad you jumped at the opportunity. Saved yourself a lot of wasted query time down the road and made your story stronger.<br />Sometimes you have to weigh the suggestions. On one of my books, one of my critique partners suggested a radical change to the story. The other three didn't and went with my gut and didn't make the sweeping changes.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-37380659196138122032016-03-25T03:24:00.952-07:002016-03-25T03:24:00.952-07:00That's awesome that the critique helped you so...That's awesome that the critique helped you so much. It's often so hard to step back and see the problem ourselves.Natalie Aguirrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03756087804171246660noreply@blogger.com