The Envy Test

My critique group met Friday night to talk, review and, of course, eat. (Don't all good critique groups feature food?) The best part of the evening was realizing that my first three chapters are done, never to be rewritten again...at least not until I get notes from my agent, and then my editor...well, you get the picture. How do I know they're done? Holly Black says so.

Holly Black was one of my favorite speakers at SCBWI-LA. She's bubbly and enthusiastic, she has great advice and she writes books that I love to read. We all know that finding critique partners can be difficult. But as Holly pointed out during her breakout workshop on critiquing, you don't just want people that you trust. You also have to not be so annoyed by them that you ignore everything they say, or so intimidated by them that you can't offer honest critiques of their work. You don't all have to write in the same genre, but these people need to get you.

She also offered up my favorite tip for knowing that something is ready to send out. She called it "The Envy Test."

If somebody's work makes me sort of envious, and maybe a little bit angry, then I know that it's ready to go out. Like if I'm thinking Oh my god, you totally nailed it! I'm really angry right now. I wish I wrote that! then it's ready. You want to have a little jealousy, because if you don't, it's not gonna spur you, it's not gonna push you. You're not going to want to rise up to that level.

Since I was the only one who attended this session, I had planned to bring my notes to share with everyone. But as I scrambled on Friday night to get out the door, finish making dinner for my family and bring along my comments on everyone else's writing, I forgot to grab my Holly notes. They'd have to hear about the Envy Test another time. So when Gwen commented about some scenes that she thought were perfect, I held my breath. And when Lori said that she was totally jealous of my chapter endings, I got giddy. If Holly Black's Envy Test is to be trusted, then my chapters are finally ready! Finally!

Of course, that's just the first three chapters. My task for this week is to make sure the remaining chapters make critiquers equally envious so that I can send this baby on its way.

Has somebody else's writing ever made you jealous? Tell them! It just might make their day :)

More from SCBWI-LA

To say that my brain is in information overload would be an understatement. Fortunately, for my birthday last week, my husband gave me an iPod touch. The day before the conference I downloaded software that allows me to record each session then save it to my computer at night. These aren't like radio quality recordings, but they will allow me to listen to all of this wonderful advice over and over again, and to hear some inspiration when I need it, too. And that's good news for my weary brain.

Of course, it isn't all work! Here are some pics from the Blue Ball on Saturday night:

The geese are (l to r) Greg Trine, Tina Nicols Coury, Yuki Yoshino
Thalia Chaltas and Gwen Dandridge (with glowing electric blue wings)
And the Blue Man group, which I think were actually all women =)



And here are a few more nuggets from the conference:

From author Holly Black:
(doesn't she have a great smile?!)

Fantasy is the language of metaphor. It has real things to say about us and about our world.

Details make it rooted, make readers believe that it's a place they have been.

We're all writing the stories we wanted someone else to write for us. We all build on each other.

From editor Krista Marino:

Every publisher wants their authors to be blogging. (YES!!!)

Target editors or junior editors who are building their lists. They are more likely to have the time to help nurture projects they love.

Take luck out of the equation and do everything you can.

Writing and revising is a collaboration. Find an editor that gets your project. It needs to be a partnership so you need to be sure they have the same vision as you for the book.

Take things from every part of your life and put it in your fiction.

Editor Elizabeth Law gave a fabulous speech about how publishing is changing. She is incredibly funny and an excellent speaker. I was surprised to hear that her company, Egmont, donates all of their profits to children's charities. Isn't that cool?

She also had this question for writers who are afraid to submit or who come up with numerous excuses for not submitting: "I just turned 49 and I'm overweight, but if I can go on a blind date in New York, why can't you send in your manuscript?"

Becky Levine challenged me to talk to one person I didn't already know and I did that. As a result I met Cindy, Rachel and Paige, all fabulous writers with excellent taste in dinner and friends =), and Marietta Zucker, an agent with Nancy Gallt (who I'll be interviewing here on the blog in the next few weeks). So thanks Becky!

After all, hanging out on the lobby sofa talking to an agent with my new BFFs is really a fabulous way to wrap up the day, don't you think?