I agree with Scott- I found myself sort of skipping through a lot of the entries. Felt kind of bad about it, but really it’s about personal preference. This exercise, as well as the previous contests, really gives the rest of us an idea of what an agent’s job must be like.
I feel kind of bad that I entered though. I feel like I added to the demise of Nathan’s stability. Sorry!!!!
While I’m at it, another commenter mentioned the use of profanity in the first page. I did that. I would like to apologize now for the cussing. Please understand that I had to do it. It’s not me- it’s the characters. I wouldn’t start a conversation with you by swearing my face off, but these kids have something to prove. I almost didn’t post it because of the language but it’s part of the story.
Oh geez here I am, making more word pollution. I’m done now.
Is it official? Can we start posting entries on a different blog entry? I’ve been trying all morning and I haven’t been able to get the page to load completely, which means I haven’t been able to post a comment. I’ll keep trying, but I hope there will be a new spot to post soon.
Not just profanity, but one of them that I saw (I can’t get the thread to load anymore either) had an *extremely* graphic sex scene! I find myself wondering if you have young readers.
Anyway, good luck and remember, man does not live by bourbon alone. You need, like, chocolate or something to go with it!
Sorry if people are having trouble making their entries. I’m just a little hesitant to start a new thread because 1) judging from the way the entries are piling up in the original thread, it doesn’t seem like many people are having a problem and 2) there are already enough people entering in random posts on the blog that I’m concerned about further confusing matters.
If you’re unable to post your entry after several tries, go ahead and e-mail it to me at nb@cbltd.com and I’ll post it in the official thread.
Also, one thing that might help is that rather than clicking on the comments link, click on the blog title, which will load all the comments on one page without people’s avatars, which makes it load much faster.
I agree with Scott and Heidi as well. This contest does give an idea of how hard going through the slush pile is. And I’m not saying that the entries are bad (I’m quite impressed and depressed, in fact).
And yes, personal preference plays a huge part in deciding what I keep reading until the end, or where I give up after two paragraphs.
I guess that’s why they say to keep querying. Even after 50 rejections, you need just one agent who likes your style/voice/premise etc.
Nathan, I just wanted to join the chorus of laughing, er, sighing, at your insanity. I still can’t decide if I’ll add my page – I hate to add to your misery!
I am stressed for you dude! Shorten the deadline before all of this kills you! Seriously! I read about 30 and I got a raging headache and had to stop. We want you around, not institutionalized shouting “Pitches! Rhetorical Questions! Slush!” randomly at the other inmates. Or if you are too noble to shorten it much earlier, at least change the deadline to 5pm Eastern.
Thanks! Wednesday night (and, um, Thursday morning) are going to be crazy, but I’m used to making snap decisions on excerpts. But I sure hope people are reading Holly’s blog and clicking on her ads and sending her well-wishes! It’s going to be quite a task to co-judge this one.
Nathan, Thanks so much for doing this. I have a question about genre. Is it okay to enter something that you don’t rep (i.e. a younger MG)? If I were fortunate enough to win out of all of these hundreds of entries, I’d love your feedback about a query or to get a partial critique. But if the idea of the contest is to keep it to adult/YA, then I don’t want to waste even more of your time. Thanks!
Three Brothers in Yellowwood Forest Young Adult-Fantasy 53,027 so far Allrick Vilness is one of three brothers in a family of eight children. The brothers are the three oldest but they are not the three most loved. Not only aren’t they loved; their parents don’t even seem to like them all that well.
On this bitter February day they worked sixteen hours on the farm their step-father managed, before going inside for a dinner of crusts of bread swimming in lukewarm watery soup. The brothers were cleaning up the kitchen when their stepfather came stomping in.
He grabbed Allrick by his left ear and drug him over to the cellar door. Allrick clutched the railing as his step-father pushed him onto the top stair.
“Follow him.” Their step-father growled at his brothers. “I will deal with all of you in the morning.” The cellar door shut with a slam. The iron bolt grated inside its barrel as he locked the brothers in.
They were locked in for the night but their footsteps were light traveling down the wooden stairs. They were actually glad to be sleeping in the cellar. Sleeping in the cellar was an easy punishment in the Vilness household.
The brothers were often confined in the cellar. It was usually because they were judged guilty of being foolish. The judgment of being foolish could be imposed for nearly any reason; for laughing while they played a board game or even for leaving a sock on the floor. There were far worse punishments.
Tonight, the brothers had not been declared foolish. Tonight they were guilty of seeing something they weren’t supposed to see. Tonight they were being locked in the cellar for a dreadfully dangerous reason. This night held the promise of a morning of much worse punishment; but for now, as the Wyoming wind seeped through the concrete block walls and dust swirled around the brothers, they felt safe.
Allrick was the youngest of the three. His mop of ultra curly auburn hair was matted with dirt as he sat on the concrete pad. He unlaced his too small shoes with icy fingers and plotted his next attempt to escape.
His mother had already tracked him down twice. The last time, she told him that his step-father would ‘hunt him down and shoot him like a dog’ if he should ever run away again.
Allrick lay down and planned how he could hide in the next truck that left the farm, as he drifted off to sleep. He smiled at the smell of clean, pure, fresh air that signals that time between asleep and awake and he dreamed of the stars he would sleep under when he was free. In his sleep he tugged the edge of his brother’s blue jean quilt under his chin.
Liam was three years older than Allrick. He snuck the blue jean quilt down to the cellar several days ago. He was tired of being cold at night.
Even in the winter, he was deeply tanned from loading bales of hay all day.
Reading through the entries was mind-numbing. Not that they were bad. A lot of them were quite good. It’s just that the sheer onslaught of them was overwhelming. How do agents do this week after week?
I just want to say that it is demoralizing to hear that a few (self-appointed) critics are tying their own hopes at blog-fame on to this wonderful contest. I understand they are dissing this and applauding this and that and I do not see their credentials or their permission. Wow, Nathan doesn’t allow that on this site. It’s hurtful and not helpful. Some of these writing entries are by high school kids or new writers. Some writers are pretty courageous to put their writing out at all. I think they deserve a lot for daring to be visible. Please don’t beat them up. And how do you know that beyond what may be an awkward beginning, is not a gifted work? Even Nathan doesn’t critique in public without demanding courtesy and permission. Get your own blog-readers. Stop it!
While I don’t necessarily agree with all of anonymous’ points (I don’t think the responders are just going for extra readers), I agree that it’s unfair to criticize people’s work without their permission. People didn’t submit their work knowing they would be publicly critiqued and it was never my intent to do any critiques. While I think everyone appreciates praise, if you’re going to be critiquing someone’s work, in my opinion it would be best to seek their permission first.
Um…I entered Nathan’s contest, not Chro’s, not Josephine’s, not any one else’s. The mirror blogs are interesting. Y’all said kind things about my work, but really, that’s not what I was after, here.
Good luck Nathan, I hope you have that bourbon on hand. Isn’t this like reading a full manuscript or are you and your esteemed co-host splitting it down the middle (which is still a full book but smaller)?
Wow…I think all the blog critiques are REALLY helpful. Obviously Nathan doesn’t have time to comment on every entry, but…I put my page out here because I want to see if its the best I can make it. And no WAY am I going to refuse free advice on how I can help it get there.
(And, by the way, I’m one of those “high school kids.”)
I really don’t want this to turn into a flame war and otherwise detract from the contest, so here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to contact the people who have been doing critiques, and ask them to refrain from doing critiques of people who did not sign up for that. At the same time, I know that there are people who WOULD like critiques and it’s a noble undertaking for them to offer the opportunity for feedback, so in tonight’s update I’m going to ask people to please visit their sites and/or contact them if they would like their page critiqued.
Hopefully this will resolve this, and we can continue to enjoy the contest. Sound good?
Nathan, you are a leader and a gentleman. Your decision protects the innocent participants who only signed up for this contest and let’s the others have at each other in a separate time and space. Couldn’t be fairer.
Unfortunately, I don’t have time to go around to each individual blog giving permission to critique my first page submission. So I’ll just state it here, and what happens, happens.
I hereby give permission for anyone who so desires to post critiques/opinions/impressions/assessments of my entry, THE MESSAGE POPULATION, on their respective blogs. However, it was Nathan’s contest that I chose to enter, and this permission should in no way be taken as a professional submission for consideration on any blog other than Nathan’s. Thank you.
I have no problem with people critiquing my page, because, frankly, I could use some fresh eyes.
I know the story is solid, but the first line, paragraph, page and chapter are eating my lunch. I know people don’t want to wait until later to figure out if it’s worth reading.
Yes, I will be going to those blogs and contacting them.
All the entries are great! Keep’em coming. And sorry Nathan about the thread problems today. I was beginning to feel like I was back in junior high when the shop teacher ridiculed the boys who couldn’t quite handle the lathe (but we aced English!). So, Nathan. When’s the next contest?
Posting anonymously so as not to feel like quite so much of a suckup… 🙂
Nathan, is there anything we can do to thank you for this contest? I’m assuming you do NOT want bourbon delivered to your office… is there anything you would like? Or something non-material a grateful writer could do?
It’s just such an undertaking, and you’re so positive about it, and I know I can’t be the only one who really wants to thank you.
So, thank you, and if there is something, please let us know!
I don’t care who critiques my work so long as they don’t insist that their word is the Last and Final Word on All Literature Ever Written. As an author, I expect to get reviews, and not all of them are going to be positive. Everyone is going to have opinions. I’m mature enough to handle them.
If I post something publicly, I’m perfectly willing to hear critiques of my work. If I didn’t want opinions, I wouldn’t put it out there. Have at it, folks.
Wow my loves read the contest rules, post in the original thread!
Aww Hannah don’t feel sad, it’s just a preventative measure. Some people feel threatened and unwilling to (as I like to say), let it all hang out. Some people are nervous about public forum critiquing and that is all it is really. In a perfect world it would be great to let it happen as it happens but you’ve got to cover all sides these days, sensitive skin and all that!
Hey, when I said “high school” I meant it respectively and symbolically too. Sometimes -but not always- “school” is an incubator. Some “students” don’t need it. Some “out of schoolers” still need it. I just meant, for whoever it may apply to, that many writers are sensitives. In my own local writers’ group, the most sensitive voices are often the most talented and original. Often,they have been writing for years in private because being visible is such a big step. And for many of them, they STILL have to improve in areas and sensitive treatment helps them clear up their problem areas. One of the things I like so much about professional agents is they aren’t out to slam a potential writer in the making. They don’t need to belong to the smug club. The good ones genuinely LIKE writing and writers. I have also met writers who come from poor cultures who have great stories in them, and benefit from a hand. Oh,if only everyone out of the box could be a master. But it’s all that tripping over one’s own feet and stretching that comes before the ballerina is a ballerina. Anyway, this blog is sensitive and not harsh and there are many here amongst us who grow in that. Peace.
Anonymous says
Sorry, Nathan. Someone spilled the beans on AW. More first pages coming your way, I’m sure
Heidi the Hick says
I agree with Scott- I found myself sort of skipping through a lot of the entries. Felt kind of bad about it, but really it’s about personal preference. This exercise, as well as the previous contests, really gives the rest of us an idea of what an agent’s job must be like.
I feel kind of bad that I entered though. I feel like I added to the demise of Nathan’s stability. Sorry!!!!
While I’m at it, another commenter mentioned the use of profanity in the first page. I did that. I would like to apologize now for the cussing. Please understand that I had to do it. It’s not me- it’s the characters. I wouldn’t start a conversation with you by swearing my face off, but these kids have something to prove. I almost didn’t post it because of the language but it’s part of the story.
Oh geez here I am, making more word pollution. I’m done now.
Anonymous says
I think you must be mildly insane to have initiated this contest… 🙂
Liz says
Heidi,
I thought your cussing was fine, I was just surprised at the overall amount of first pages that had profanity.
Kami says
Is it official? Can we start posting entries on a different blog entry? I’ve been trying all morning and I haven’t been able to get the page to load completely, which means I haven’t been able to post a comment. I’ll keep trying, but I hope there will be a new spot to post soon.
Anonymous says
Not just profanity, but one of them that I saw (I can’t get the thread to load anymore either) had an *extremely* graphic sex scene! I find myself wondering if you have young readers.
Anyway, good luck and remember, man does not live by bourbon alone. You need, like, chocolate or something to go with it!
Loretta
Nathan Bransford says
Sorry if people are having trouble making their entries. I’m just a little hesitant to start a new thread because 1) judging from the way the entries are piling up in the original thread, it doesn’t seem like many people are having a problem and 2) there are already enough people entering in random posts on the blog that I’m concerned about further confusing matters.
If you’re unable to post your entry after several tries, go ahead and e-mail it to me at nb@cbltd.com and I’ll post it in the official thread.
Nathan Bransford says
Also, one thing that might help is that rather than clicking on the comments link, click on the blog title, which will load all the comments on one page without people’s avatars, which makes it load much faster.
Luc2 says
I agree with Scott and Heidi as well. This contest does give an idea of how hard going through the slush pile is. And I’m not saying that the entries are bad (I’m quite impressed and depressed, in fact).
And yes, personal preference plays a huge part in deciding what I keep reading until the end, or where I give up after two paragraphs.
I guess that’s why they say to keep querying. Even after 50 rejections, you need just one agent who likes your style/voice/premise etc.
jjdebenedictis says
Chro said:
I’m … going to comment on every single one and post my one-paragraph opinion on my blog.
Great idea, Chro! Thanks for being willing to match Nathan and Holly’s generosity of spirit.
You’ve inspired me. I shall also attempt to critique every entry on my blog, but I’m going to stick to only one or two sentences of opinion per entry.
Anyone interested in my comments is free to pop by (and argue; I mean, hey–it’s only my opinion) at:
https://jjdebenedictis.blogspot.com
Roxan says
I’m trying to train myself into being able to look at other genres without a sudden nauseated feeling. No skimming, but my eyes are still rolling.
Diana says
Holy crap. Just for fun, I hit “print preview” to see how long the other blog was – and it came to 488 pages.
This has been an interesting experience, even if our blog host doesn’t live to tell the tale.
I don’t know how agents do it. I would spend a lot of time with my eyes rolled into the back of my head if I had to read all of these submissions.
Melanie Avila says
Nathan, I just wanted to join the chorus of laughing, er, sighing, at your insanity. I still can’t decide if I’ll add my page – I hate to add to your misery!
Ryan Field says
I liked “Cinnamon Gum Christmas” so much I read it several times.
beth says
…over 300 and counting…
Ello says
Nathan,
I am stressed for you dude! Shorten the deadline before all of this kills you! Seriously! I read about 30 and I got a raging headache and had to stop. We want you around, not institutionalized shouting “Pitches! Rhetorical Questions! Slush!” randomly at the other inmates. Or if you are too noble to shorten it much earlier, at least change the deadline to 5pm Eastern.
I’m worried…
Nathan Bransford says
ello-
Thanks! Wednesday night (and, um, Thursday morning) are going to be crazy, but I’m used to making snap decisions on excerpts. But I sure hope people are reading Holly’s blog and clicking on her ads and sending her well-wishes! It’s going to be quite a task to co-judge this one.
Cynthia Bronco says
I hope it’s obvious that mine is not literary fiction… or is it? It’s fun to see what everyone has been working on! Good luck Nathan!
Anonymous says
Nathan,
Thanks so much for doing this. I have a question about genre. Is it okay to enter something that you don’t rep (i.e. a younger MG)? If I were fortunate enough to win out of all of these hundreds of entries, I’d love your feedback about a query or to get a partial critique. But if the idea of the contest is to keep it to adult/YA, then I don’t want to waste even more of your time.
Thanks!
Nathan Bransford says
anon-
Any genre is fine!
SherylAdairVv says
Three Brothers in Yellowwood Forest
Young Adult-Fantasy 53,027 so far
Allrick Vilness is one of three brothers in a family of eight children. The brothers are the three oldest but they are not the three most loved. Not only aren’t they loved; their parents don’t even seem to like them all that well.
On this bitter February day they worked sixteen hours on the farm their step-father managed, before going inside for a dinner of crusts of bread swimming in lukewarm watery soup. The brothers were cleaning up the kitchen when their stepfather came stomping in.
He grabbed Allrick by his left ear and drug him over to the cellar door. Allrick clutched the railing as his step-father pushed him onto the top stair.
“Follow him.” Their step-father growled at his brothers. “I will deal with all of you in the morning.” The cellar door shut with a slam. The iron bolt grated inside its barrel as he locked the brothers in.
They were locked in for the night but their footsteps were light traveling down the wooden stairs. They were actually glad to be sleeping in the cellar. Sleeping in the cellar was an easy punishment in the Vilness household.
The brothers were often confined in the cellar. It was usually because they were judged guilty of being foolish. The judgment of being foolish could be imposed for nearly any reason; for laughing while they played a board game or even for leaving a sock on the floor. There were far worse punishments.
Tonight, the brothers had not been declared foolish. Tonight they were guilty of seeing something they weren’t supposed to see. Tonight they were being locked in the cellar for a dreadfully dangerous reason. This night held the promise of a morning of much worse punishment; but for now, as the Wyoming wind seeped through the concrete block walls and dust swirled around the brothers, they felt safe.
Allrick was the youngest of the three. His mop of ultra curly auburn hair was matted with dirt as he sat on the concrete pad. He unlaced his too small shoes with icy fingers and plotted his next attempt to escape.
His mother had already tracked him down twice. The last time, she told him that his step-father would ‘hunt him down and shoot him like a dog’ if he should ever run away again.
Allrick lay down and planned how he could hide in the next truck that left the farm, as he drifted off to sleep. He smiled at the smell of clean, pure, fresh air that signals that time between asleep and awake and he dreamed of the stars he would sleep under when he was free. In his sleep he tugged the edge of his brother’s blue jean quilt under his chin.
Liam was three years older than Allrick. He snuck the blue jean quilt down to the cellar several days ago. He was tired of being cold at night.
Even in the winter, he was deeply tanned from loading bales of hay all day.
Kami says
I think that clicking on the entry and posting that way worked. I’m not sure. I couldn’t find my entry but that doesn’t surprise me. There are a lot.
Sam Hranac says
You have so completely stepped in it this time, Mr. Bransford. Tons of reading, and tons of interesting beginnings.
Erik says
I have to say that I’m very suprised that no one has gone with the minimalist option, ala “My mother is a fish.”
If I did feel like writing what I did, I would have gone with it. No reason you have to fill out the 500 word max – or more than 1% of it, anyways.
dawtheminstrel says
Reading through the entries was mind-numbing. Not that they were bad. A lot of them were quite good. It’s just that the sheer onslaught of them was overwhelming. How do agents do this week after week?
Michelle Pendergrass says
I was having trouble commenting, so I decided to get out of FireFox and turn on IE.
For whatever strange reason, that worked and I was able to put my story in the comments of the original thread and also comment here.
Anonymous says
I just want to say that it is demoralizing to hear that a few (self-appointed) critics are tying their own hopes at blog-fame on to this wonderful contest. I understand they are dissing this and applauding this and that and I do not see their credentials or their permission.
Wow, Nathan doesn’t allow that on this site. It’s hurtful and not helpful.
Some of these writing entries are by high school kids or new writers.
Some writers are pretty courageous to put their writing out at all.
I think they deserve a lot for daring to be visible.
Please don’t beat them up.
And how do you know that beyond what may be an awkward beginning, is not a gifted work?
Even Nathan doesn’t critique in public without demanding courtesy and permission.
Get your own blog-readers.
Stop it!
Jennifer L. Griffith says
Oh, my. No wonder you’re starting to have second thoughts. YIKES, over 350 and counting!!!!
Nathan Bransford says
While I don’t necessarily agree with all of anonymous’ points (I don’t think the responders are just going for extra readers), I agree that it’s unfair to criticize people’s work without their permission. People didn’t submit their work knowing they would be publicly critiqued and it was never my intent to do any critiques. While I think everyone appreciates praise, if you’re going to be critiquing someone’s work, in my opinion it would be best to seek their permission first.
Anonymous says
Um…I entered Nathan’s contest, not Chro’s, not Josephine’s, not any one else’s. The mirror blogs are interesting. Y’all said kind things about my work, but really, that’s not what I was after, here.
Adaora A. says
Good luck Nathan, I hope you have that bourbon on hand. Isn’t this like reading a full manuscript or are you and your esteemed co-host splitting it down the middle (which is still a full book but smaller)?
Anonymous says
Thank you Anon 2:37, Nathan and Anon 2:49. Both Chro and jj critiqued my work – they both didn’t like it.
I know my genre isn’t for everybody, which is fine, but I thought this was just a contest for Nathan.
hannah says
Wow…I think all the blog critiques are REALLY helpful. Obviously Nathan doesn’t have time to comment on every entry, but…I put my page out here because I want to see if its the best I can make it. And no WAY am I going to refuse free advice on how I can help it get there.
(And, by the way, I’m one of those “high school kids.”)
Nathan Bransford says
I really don’t want this to turn into a flame war and otherwise detract from the contest, so here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to contact the people who have been doing critiques, and ask them to refrain from doing critiques of people who did not sign up for that. At the same time, I know that there are people who WOULD like critiques and it’s a noble undertaking for them to offer the opportunity for feedback, so in tonight’s update I’m going to ask people to please visit their sites and/or contact them if they would like their page critiqued.
Hopefully this will resolve this, and we can continue to enjoy the contest. Sound good?
hannah says
Sounds good to me. Sorry to inflame. 🙂
Nathan Bransford says
hannah-
No no, I don’t think you flamed, I appreciate your feedback. I just saw some smoke looming on the horizon. 😉
Anonymous says
Nathan, you are a leader and a gentleman.
Your decision protects the innocent participants who only signed up for this contest
and let’s the others have at each other in a separate time and space.
Couldn’t be fairer.
hannah says
well then, uh…sorry for being an ineffective air purifier?
😉
Anonymous says
Unfortunately, I don’t have time to go around to each individual blog giving permission to critique my first page submission. So I’ll just state it here, and what happens, happens.
I hereby give permission for anyone who so desires to post critiques/opinions/impressions/assessments of my entry, THE MESSAGE POPULATION, on their respective blogs. However, it was Nathan’s contest that I chose to enter, and this permission should in no way be taken as a professional submission for consideration on any blog other than Nathan’s.
Thank you.
Michele Lee says
>>Just think of it as reading a book… that keeps restarting.
LMAO So good I needed to hear it again!
Julie Weathers says
I have no problem with people critiquing my page, because, frankly, I could use some fresh eyes.
I know the story is solid, but the first line, paragraph, page and chapter are eating my lunch. I know people don’t want to wait until later to figure out if it’s worth reading.
Yes, I will be going to those blogs and contacting them.
KevinS says
All the entries are great! Keep’em coming.
And sorry Nathan about the thread problems today. I was beginning to feel like I was back in junior high when the shop teacher ridiculed the boys who couldn’t quite handle the lathe (but we aced English!).
So, Nathan. When’s the next contest?
Anonymous says
Posting anonymously so as not to feel like quite so much of a suckup… 🙂
Nathan, is there anything we can do to thank you for this contest? I’m assuming you do NOT want bourbon delivered to your office… is there anything you would like? Or something non-material a grateful writer could do?
It’s just such an undertaking, and you’re so positive about it, and I know I can’t be the only one who really wants to thank you.
So, thank you, and if there is something, please let us know!
Sapphire (not really… she’s my cat 🙂
Sophie W. says
I don’t care who critiques my work so long as they don’t insist that their word is the Last and Final Word on All Literature Ever Written. As an author, I expect to get reviews, and not all of them are going to be positive. Everyone is going to have opinions. I’m mature enough to handle them.
Even as a high school kid.
Allen B. Ogey says
Anyone can review/criticize my entry – I’d like as much feedback as I can get.
DeadlyAccurate says
If I post something publicly, I’m perfectly willing to hear critiques of my work. If I didn’t want opinions, I wouldn’t put it out there. Have at it, folks.
Sage says
I’m open to crits on mine too. 🙂
Adaora A. says
Wow my loves read the contest rules, post in the original thread!
Aww Hannah don’t feel sad, it’s just a preventative measure. Some people feel threatened and unwilling to (as I like to say), let it all hang out. Some people are nervous about public forum critiquing and that is all it is really. In a perfect world it would be great to let it happen as it happens but you’ve got to cover all sides these days, sensitive skin and all that!
Polenth says
Erik: I too looked for the “I am a fish” entry, but it was nowhere. I almost feel bad for letting the wordiness monster get to me now.
Random Folk: Yay for looming smoke! I don’t mind people critiquing me. I tend to assume people will if I put something up publicly.
I’m hoping people won’t get gnarly about unsolicited praise, because it’d be nice to link to a few of the ones I like best without getting hassled.
Anonymous says
Hey, when I said “high school” I meant it respectively and symbolically too.
Sometimes -but not always- “school” is an incubator.
Some “students” don’t need it. Some “out of schoolers” still need it.
I just meant, for whoever it may apply to, that many writers are sensitives.
In my own local writers’ group, the most sensitive voices are often the most talented and original. Often,they have been writing for years in private because being visible is such a big step. And for many of them, they STILL have to improve in areas and sensitive treatment helps them clear up their problem areas.
One of the things I like so much about professional agents is they aren’t out to slam a potential writer in the making. They don’t need to belong to the smug club. The good ones genuinely LIKE writing and writers.
I have also met writers who come from poor cultures who have great stories in them, and benefit from a hand.
Oh,if only everyone out of the box could be a master. But it’s all that tripping over one’s own feet and stretching that comes before the ballerina is a ballerina.
Anyway, this blog is sensitive and not harsh and there are many here amongst us who grow in that.
Peace.