The Big Mistake That Keeps Writers From Finishing a Novel

Photo by fr0ggy5 on Unsplash

Today’s post is by novelist Dr. Zena Ryder.

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If you belong to any online groups for writers, you’ve seen it. A writer shares a passage of their writing, then it’s critiqued in a thread, which can stretch to dozens or even hundreds of comments. Some nice, some not so nice. All you can do is hope the writer is neither crushed nor overwhelmed.

Sometimes they’re just seeking a little encouragement, but they’ve equated that with approval of their writing. What they really need to hear is keep going, even if what they’ve written is crappy. Which it probably is if it’s a first draft. As Anne Lamott reminds us in Bird by Bird, that’s totally normal.

Insensitive or rude feedback is problematic at any stage, but can be particularly harmful if received early in the writing process, before a writer has built some confidence and resilience. Women’s fiction writer Karen Clark says while she was working on an outline, she got feedback on one scene that was still unclear in her mind. “The feedback I received was that it would make my readers roll their eyes.” This left Karen “feeling demoralized and unworthy.” Four years later, she says she still carries the feeling of being an imposter as a writer.

When he attended a writing group after moving to a new city, murder mystery writer Frank Anderson received some negative feedback on his first draft. It left him feeling “angry and questioning why I bothered to attend.” He hasn’t been back to the group after that first meeting.

The problem isn’t always the group or a tactless critique, though—it’s the mismatch between what the writer needs and what the group provides. It’s like hiring an electrician to fix your toilet. An electrician and a plumber are both skilled professionals, but you need to hire each one for the right job.

Great tools, wrong job

I’ve run Central Okanagan Writers, an in-person feedback group, since 2018. And I ran an online critique circle through the Federation of BC Writers for a year. I understand it’s essential to get good feedback on your writing! Sadly, though, even thoughtful and kindly delivered critique can stop a first draft in its tracks.

Christine Esovoloff writes women’s fiction. She told me that whenever she’s shown her first draft to someone else, “If they make any suggestion or comment—not even a negative one—then I automatically think ‘It sucks, it’s a piece of garbage, I can’t believe I thought this could be good and I’m so sorry for wasting your time.’”

There’s not something inherently wrong with critique groups, but writers often seek feedback too early. New writers especially don’t always know what they need, or what will be helpful to them on their writing journey. Christine admits that had I recommended not getting feedback on her first draft, “I probably would have fought you on that.”

Writers hear the advice to join a critique group and perhaps hope it will serve every need—motivation, accountability, encouragement, feedback, and writerly companionship. But it’s hard for one group to provide all those things to all members at the same time.

What writers actually need during the first-draft stage

Instead of critiques, what writers really need while writing their first draft is:

• Motivation: Encouragement to keep at it, day after day, even though you’re writing crap and you have no idea if it’ll ever be any good.
• Accountability: Knowing someone else is paying attention can help you keep going even when it’s hard.
• Companionship: Friendships with other writers ensure you don’t feel like the only one struggling with the same difficulties.
• Permission: Reminders that it’s perfectly normal to write badly and inconsistently—so long as we persist.

Contrast that with what critique groups typically offer: analysis, feedback, and suggestions for improvement. These are all valuable, but better suited for the revision phase.

There’s another practical reason not to get feedback on a first draft. Once you revise your work, it’s bound to change a lot. There’s not much point in getting feedback on your opening chapter if, after you’ve completed the first draft, you realize you started your story in the wrong place and you scrap that chapter entirely.

Either way, it can take courage to show your work to others for the first time, and completing a first draft can give you a huge boost of confidence and resilience. As Karen says, “When I’m still working on an idea, feedback can feel like humiliation. Once I’m further into my own commitment to the story, it is easier to stand by my choices.”

Eventually feedback is vital for a writer. If you want your writing to be read, then you need to know how it lands with other people. Waiting until a later stage before seeking critique doesn’t mean working in isolation. It means finding the right kind of group for the right task.

Match your community to your stage

I recently joined Eyes On Books, an online community designed to help authors (and aspiring authors) learn how to market their books more effectively. This is a good fit for me because I’m currently querying a novel, which I hope to be marketing in coming months. I’m also still a member of my in-person feedback group. These groups serve different purposes. Decide what you truly need right now and find or create that kind of community.

• Drafting community: Gives you motivation, accountability, companionship, permission to write badly
• Critique group: Provides feedback on craft, suggestions for improvement
• Professional network: Offers business advice, info on publication strategies, marketing ideas

Christine realizes that what’s most important for her is to find ways to keep motivation up while writing the first draft. She says that while it’s fine to get general writing tips, soliciting feedback on her first draft is not helpful. She now knows that in the beginning she needs camaraderie, not critique.

So hire a plumber to fix your toilet—and find (or create) a writing group that offers the right kind of support at the right time.