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by Denise Vega
 Denise Vega
RMC Co-RA I remember one particularly painful but powerful critique group
session. It was for an historical middle grade novel that I had,
like all of us, poured my heart and soul into. The group told me
briefly what was working, then sprung on the material like a hungry
lion, ripping apart scene after scene, gnawing on characters and
spitting them out. I took notes as fast as I could, trying to absorb
it all. But finally I held up my hand.
"Stop."
I couldn't keep up. Not just with all the ideas flying at me, but
with the emotional turmoil inside.
But I also knew, as I reviewed the notes later, that most of what
they said was right.
I joined this group in Spring 2000. I received my first acceptance
for a novel in Spring 2003. I'm convinced that my writing improved
exponentially, and my manuscript was accepted, largely because of
the group's feedback. And not just feedback on Click
Here, the accepted novel, but all of the manuscripts,
including manuscripts of other writers. Each experience of a manuscript
critique, whether mine or someone else's, brought insights into character
and story. I've been amazed at how many times feedback on someone
else's work pointed me to a similar issue in my own manuscript.
Feedback has been vital to my growth as a writer. And as I've given
and gotten feedback, I've learned to see my own work more objectively.
I'm less resistant to change, able to try something new, even if
I go back to the original later. I've also come to trust my own instincts
about the vision of my story; to know which comments will further
that vision, and which will not.
I've learned to embrace feedback. To find the lamb sleeping next
to the lion, the quiet voice that helps me see my story for what
it could be—then takes me there.
Denise Vega is Co-Regional Advisor of the Rocky Mountain
Chapter. Her first novel, Click Here (To Find Out
How I Survived Seventh Grade) was published in April
2005.
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