Back in the long-ago I belonged to a writers' group, on Facebook. It wasn't a bad group, either, as these things go. I'm no longer a member, because groups tend to be a bit of a time sink for me, and from time to time, when I'm not satisfied with my productivity, I leave most of the ones I'm in.
Anyway, this was quite a good group, and among other things people used to post passages of their work for critique by the group. One man used to post a lot of passages, and I gave comments on a number of them. After a while, another person in the group messaged me, saying 'don't waste time on Andy, he's very needy, he's always posting his stuff.'
It was well-meant, but I disagreed. I didn't see his constant posting for critique as neediness, or indeed as anything emotional. I saw it as evidence of a passionate commitment to excellence, a determination to make his writing the best it could be. Because of this, and because I thought the stuff he was producing showed a lot of talent, I felt he was worth a bit of effort.
Time has proved me right. From a not very confident, unpublished novice writer, this man, just a few years later, has emerged as a very successful author, with more than twenty books published. Not only that, but they are thundering good reads, too. Whenever I pick up a new one, I know I am about to experience the very best adventure fantasy. Happily for me, I'm on the list to receive advance review copies, so I get to enjoy them before everyone else, which adds to my pleasure, as does the secret little glow of smugness that comes from having been right all along.
What am I getting at, here, you ask. Well, it's this - if I hadn't taken a bit of trouble to help out a beginner, I wouldn't have that special enjoyment - I would still enjoy the books, of course, but I wouldn't have that special pride that comes from having discovered someone, before others saw his merit. And that really brightens my day.
Most people, if they are writing, probably belong to one or more writers' groups. The benefits are enormous, as long as you limit the time you spend in them, a thing at which I am very bad, hence my periodic culls. But don't limit yourself to what you can get from your group. People who do that generally don't get much. You have to give back as well to reap the full benefits.
By now, you'll probably be mad with curiosity to know who is the writer I'm talking about. It is Andy Peloquin, whose Hero of Darkness series introduced a massive and complex fantasy world in which multiple series interlock. Currently in train are the Heirs of Destiny series, and the prequel series The Silent Champions, in which Peloquin has branched into the genre of Military Fantasy. Find them all HERE.
While you're at Amazon binge-buying Andy's books, don't miss my own new release, Where The Heart is, the culmination of the Fiona MacDougall trilogy.
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| Get it HERE |
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