NEED A SECOND OPINION?

A couple of months ago I had one of those wretched nights when you know something unpleasant is going on in your body. Although I was very feverish and thought I must just have one of the vicious viruses going around, I needed a ‘second opinion’ from my doctor. I will always be very thankful for that decision. Within a few minutes she had rung the ambulance, inserted an intravenous drip and given me a shot of morphia to ‘tide me over’, as she put it, for the fifty minute trip to the hospital. One not-so-small kidney stone had caused a blockage which had caused an abscess which had caused my whole system to be poisoned.

Have you ever thought of authors needing a ‘second opinion’ on their manuscripts before they are submitted to an editor or agent for that most important decision? Some writing their very first novel may need a third, fourth – even fifth opinion. So who can writers consult for those opinions?

I was very fortunate to have a very knowledgeable doctor who immediately realised the gravity of my situation and acted accordingly. But I certainly needed those folk at the hospital who did those vital tests needed for the ‘third opinion’ hospital doctor to ask the specialist, the urologist, to give the fourth opinion and order the correct treatment he had been trained to give.

And what about the people who have been asked for opinions on another writer’s sweated over efforts to present the story they have taken a long time to finish. How should they respond?

My doctor knew I was very sick – which incidentally I did not know at the time – and acted appropriately to help me. I am so glad she had been well trained to know what needed to be done. So writers need to be careful who they ask to read their manuscripts. Family members and good friends may be okay for that ‘first opinion’ but not be the best qualified readers for the second. They can say whether they enjoyed your story or not, but because of your close relationship may not wish to hurt you if they do not think it is a good story. Some may also be too hesitant to point out problems in your fiction writing technique. I also hasten to add that it may not be wise to ask some friends with writing experience to read your efforts, especially if they are not readers or writers of your particular type of genre. I have also discovered that writers only of non-fiction – yes, and even editors too of non-fiction – are not always the right folk to ask to check your fiction manuscript.

And there is another problem for those of us who know other published authors in our genre whose books we like and would like to pluck up courage to ask. Most are so busy they rarely have time to read whole manuscripts sent to them – especially by beginner writers. Over the years there have been published authors who have started their own businesses as manuscript assessors. There usually is a charge of course because these writers are using their own writing time to try and help others.

One such author I know of is Jeanne Marie Leach.

She has her charges listed on her website. For example, she offers what I think is a very fare first offer:

No charge for basic read of first 5 pages – which determines extent of editing necessary.

Do click here and check out her website.

Omega Writers in Australia has one free manuscript appraisal up to 50 pages each year as part of their help for their members. Other writers groups and organisations also offer help in various ways. It is VERY worthwhile being a member of a good writiers organisation.

There are thousands of folk writing novels, including Christian Fiction. Being just a reader who wants to become an author is not enough these days –perhaps it never was? The competition to get our books out there to readers is fiercer than ever today. To have any chance to be successful in having readers be so blessed that they rave about our novels, we have to seek to achieve the highest standard we can. Attending workshops for writers, studying “how to...” books are essential for anyone who wants to write a novel.

Whatever you do, please recognise that especially if you have had little training for writing a novel of any genre, you most likely need at least a ‘second opinion’ to make it the best you possibly can before trying to find a publisher – or also self-publish of course.

I have tried to help other writers over the years but like many other published authors, there have been too many times I hate to have had to say, ‘Sorry, I am afraid my own commitments right now schedule right now does not give me enough time to do your manuscript justice.’

Please leave a comment about any other authors you know of, and especially any you have had personal experience with, who currently can offer help with fiction manuscripts.

Mary Hawkins is a best-selling inspirational romance author.
Over the years she has enjoyed mentoring writers and trying to share what she has been learning about writing novels. She has enjoyed many speaking appointments and has presented workshops at various writer's groups, including Romance Writers of Australia and in recent years at the Word Writers events in Queensland sponsored by Omega Writers and Wombat Books. She lives in Tasmania with her husband Ray, who is also a published author of the 31 Day Devotional books and a contributor to the ICFW Friday Devotions. She is currently trying hard to get back into completing her 18th manuscript as she continues to recover from septicaemia. Mary's novel, Return to Baragula, is the first book featured on the Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance http://acrba.blogspot.com.au ncing in November.

Learning to live with vulnerability

I remember the moment it first dawned on me what a vulnerable activity it is to write published novels. One day, I opened an email from my publisher to find an attachment featuring the proposed front cover of my first novel. As I saw my name printed there in bold letters, horror overwhelmed me. What had I done? What would people think about my writing? Had a made a huge fool of myself? But it was too late now – I couldn’t turn back.

Now, four more published novels on, I have discovered one can’t please everyone—and I think I’ve grown a slightly thicker skin too. But I can see my vulnerability levels will soon be tested out again. You see, after producing six novels, I have just completed writing the first draft of my very first full length non-fiction work. Now I am poised to tackle the many re-writes that are no doubt ahead of me as I and my manuscript readers assess it.

I never envisaged I would write non-fiction—I love the freedom of writing my novels, watching a story develop and letting it take on a life of its own. Yet I have loved my non-fiction journey as well and have benefited so much from it. You see, my book is a type of memoir—an account of a spiritual friendship I have enjoyed with a dear, older Christian friend for many years now. To write this, I have delved into my old journals where I kept a record of many of the deep conversations my friend and I have enjoyed while sitting together in her lovely, old home in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. As I read, I saw not only the richness of our relationship but also the incredible grace of God in my life during these years. My friend has met with me since my second year at theological college around fifteen years ago and seen me through many stretching experiences—including embarking on writing my first novel in my late fifties!

Given this is the type of non-fiction I have written, perhaps you can imagine how vulnerable I now feel at the thought of exposing my innermost thoughts and fears to my readers in this way. Many times in my novels I have been able to express my own feelings and opinions through the lives of my characters. But here in this non-fiction work, there is nowhere to hide! Now that I have finished writing it, am I willing, I ask myself, to allow anyone and everyone to read it? Is this even a wise thing to do?

But then I remember why I decided to write it in the first place. I wanted to show what a wonderful gift it is for someone older in the faith to come alongside a younger Christian in an encouraging, supportive relationship and hopefully challenge more mature Christians to do this. I also wanted to inspire those younger in the faith to seek out older Christians to walk with them on their journey. And finally, I wanted to be honest about my own struggles so that those going through similar experiences might feel encouraged and understood and even perhaps given a glimpse of a way forward. So for these reasons I hope this book does succeed in being published—despite my misgivings.

But for now it’s back to editing and re-writing—and then perhaps dreaming of that next novel already outlined on my computer!