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"What kind of writing coach do you need? When you have to coach friends, what kind of coach are you?"
If you'd asked me this question a year ago, my answer would have been very different than it is right now. A year ago, I would have needed a coach to pat me on the head and give me the negative in very, very small doses. Right now, I need the brutal honesty, and I can take it. Sure, I still kind of die a little on the inside when my CP points out a huge flaw in my manuscript, but I appreciate that she doesn't lie to me when I ask her a straight question.
What's the point of lying? If I want someone to tell me my manuscript is perfect, that's what mothers are for. No, actually, my mother wouldn't do that either. We all need different types of critiques and there's nothing wrong with a lighter hand, and I think we all need that at the beginning, but I think I work better with harsher feedback.
As for myself, I fall somewhere closer to the brutal honesty side of the scale. While I'm not quite Sue Sylvester, I'm not going to sugar coat it. I often have to go back to my CP notes and scale it back a little.
That said, I probably wouldn't be the right writing coach or critique partner for everyone.
What about you?
That puts a more interesting spin on it. I don't want my CPs to lie to me, so I guess I should buck up and ask for more brutal honesty!
ReplyDeleteI love Sue! Actually, your post reminds me about how much I've changed, too. I find it extremely difficult to dole out "brutal honesty" these days. I can take it better than I can give it.
ReplyDeleteYes--we don't want our CPs to lie to us. I suspect (and the answers I've read so far seem to bear this out) that most writers really do want honest evaluation. Some perhaps need it phrased more tactfully than others, but ultimately we all want our work to be flawless, and that can't happen without honest feedback.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I started out nice with my CPs and now I'm brutally honest. I also harass them all the time to make sure they keep writing.
ReplyDelete@ Laurie: it's hard to ask the blunt questions, but I'm always glad I did, even if I don't always like the answers!
ReplyDelete@ Colin: I think honest feedback better prepares us for being published, when we're getting critiques from agents, editors, critics, and lastly the general public.
You're so right about growing to be more okay with harsh criticism! Or not harsh, but honest in a "CRAP that means I have to change THE WHOLE PLOT" kind of way. But honest CPs who share your vision are SO important. I don't think I could write anything without knowing I have my amazing beta readers as a safety net!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love Sue too---maybe not as harsh as her, but as funny, would be my ideal CP :)
LOVE Sue! And agreed - I'm not going to be the right writing coach for everyone either, but then again, everyone needs a little something different.
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