Well, things didn't go quite as planned at the writers' meeting today. I got good feedback and some kudos. One woman suggested I was brave to be tackling the subject matter that I am in 'Blue.' Brave or stupid, I'm not sure which. It's difficult writing and she acknowledged that, which for some unknown reason, felt good.
However, a writer I admire and usually appreciate comments from, gave me a scathing look at, not the subject matter, but the number of 'subplots' in the book. He counted TWELVE. Twelve subplots. That's a lot. He said I'm losing the main theme.
I really have to laugh because, for my last book, he said I had too many characters. I made sure in 'Blue' that the character list didn't get too outlandish.
He's right. To a degree. (Isn't everything to a degree? *g*) I will go back and take out some peripheral subplots, but most of them are important to the main plot. I'm wondering if the 'emotion' was disconcerting and that's why he picked on the subplots. I can't really know.
As I said, I plan on going back and seeing what can be removed, what is not paramount to the story line. My editor liked it all and she's pretty hard on me. I'll take both thoughts into account, do the re-read, and then decide what to do.
Luckily, I have a friend whom I can vent to. She was in Michigan, but answered her phone anyhow, thankfully. I get affirmation from her. I know she's prejudiced because we're friends, but I needed some, 'you're doing a good job,' so as not to let the discouragement of the critique pull me down too far to get back up.
Life is friendship.
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