Critique Survivor

 

October, 2022: I [Barbara McKay] attended my first Omega Writers Conference at Kingscliffe, NSW as a CALEB finalist. At 78 years of age, I was probably the oldest participant, but with 2 Tim. 1:7 ‘God has not given us a spirit of timidity, or cowardice or fear’ uppermost in my mind, I head-butted my fears.

Nola Passmore from the Toowoomba Chapter of Omega Writers (Quirky Quills) drove me to the resort. I pretended to be intelligent in my conversation. After that weekend, I joined the Toowoomba group.

On the 4th Feb, 2023: came the directive: ‘Bring two pages of writing, double-spaced, for those who will critique your work.’

My children’s story (about 500 words) was about rescuing an injured koala. We broke out into small groups, landing me with fellow Chapter members, Adele and Pamela, who took time to read my story. I felt as if I were in a court of law: The judgement of my writing began—with both written and verbal words.  

In feedback, I received comments such as:

‘Show [do] not tell’ 

‘POV – whose point of view?’  

‘Clearer story progression needed’

‘Use strong verbs’ 

I was in a daze as I walked away and spoke to another new writer to the group, about our ‘Crit Session’. For me, writer’s block set in. For two weeks I contemplated ‘Point of View’ when writing. ‘How do I re-write this story?’ I asked myself.

The 17th Feb (two weeks later): Pamela sent a message on the Writing Messenger thread.

‘How are you going with your story, Barb? I can see the picture you painted with you writing. Look forward to reading it again.’ 

Shock set in as I read her words. I responded. 

‘O dear, Pamela, a writer who is taking me seriously! [I feel like] I’m sitting in the Year 6 classroom listening to the teacher explaining “Point of View”. How do I write from the perspective of an 8-year-old? And you, the teacher, will not let me out of the classroom till I do this task?’

Pamela responded:

‘Oh Barbara. I don’t want to see you give up! [A]bsolutely—you can write from an 8-year-old point of view. It could be fun!’  

She added:

‘I rather think we who have been writing a while have developed a kind of rhino hide. And have forgotten how very hard it is to be in the early days, feeling so vulnerable at sharing your work.  You and Donna are so brave.’

Pamela’s words were the stimulus I needed. ‘I’m not scared of these authors,’ I told myself.

I sent a text asking a question about a suitable thesaurus and ‘Point of View’.

Dear Mazzy, who was on Day 1, Post Surgery, responded from her hospital bed with very encouraging words, and personal exhortation.  

In tears, before tackling the re-working of my koala story, I wrote:

Those Omega writers in Toowoomba … giving us a critique of our work, and then having the audacity /courage to check up on me to see if I have rewritten it. 

Maybe, the Holy Spirit is giving me a gift revealing to me that, ‘Yes, I can write’, but also saying, ‘You can improve, and [those] girls are here to help you.  You go girl!’

Maybe, God is saying [to me and all of us who write], ‘Release your uncomfortable, uneasy thoughts to Me, for I am a God full of compassion and love.  Yes, you are overwhelmed and refuse to write, but hey, people say, “you have a gift”, so keep writing.’

Thanks, Omega Writers from Toowoomba.  You are the best!

Barabara McKay is a new student to the classroom of writing (year 6, that is 😉) and determined to leave a written legacy of her life for her family and the generations to come. A minister's wife for forty-one years, she now resides in the peaceful town of Crows Nest, Queensland, writing adventures of the highs and lows of her life and God's faithfulness in every circumstance.

Simple vs Complex

By Mazzy Adams

In a world overrun with complex problems and dilemmas, it’s tempting to embrace the ‘Keep it Simple’ mantra as the only sensible solution, if not the obvious saviour. Undoubtedly, the Keep it Simple principle has merit, but complex problems, situations, or opportunities do arise that may require a complex problem-solving approach.

(Background image (c) Catie Jay used by permission)

Recently, when a maths student requested ‘complex unfamiliar’ practice problems to do, my beloved recommended she work through the examples provided in a textbook. ‘That’s no good,’ she said. ‘I need problems that are complex unfamiliar, ones I’ve never seen or practiced before!’ He was hard-pressed to convince her that ‘unfamiliar’ meant ‘unrehearsed’, not ‘unknown’ which, unfortunately, is a common misconception. 

Testing a student’s ability to solve a problem that’s unlike anything they’ve encountered in the classroom, seems unreasonable if not unethical. In reality, learning how to solve the ‘complex unfamiliar’ is a process; students are first taught how to solve simple familiar, simple unfamiliar, and complex familiar problems. In this way, they acquire the skills they need to solve complex unfamiliar problems. 

I see senior highschool students (grades 10 – 12) being asked to tackle complex English assignments which require them to analyse, compare, and contrast a literary text and a film then write an online literary article that shows 

a) they’ve understood how authors and directors use aesthetic and textual features to highlight a theme and/or position their audience to accept a particular point of view, and 

b) they know how to write a persuasive media article appropriate to a specific audience.

At times, requirement c) in which they must relate the theme to a contemporary issue, is thrown in for good measure.

It’s complex. Again, working through a step-by-step approach helps.   

Writing, like life, occasionally confronts us with challenges that are both complex and unknown. Some are unexpected; others are invited.

Nine years ago, as part of my creative writing degree, we were shown an image of a kid on a train as a ‘quick writing exercise’ prompt. 

In that moment, I encountered a character with a tale to tell, begging me to tell it. Whether by my own curiosity or a higher power, the calling to unravel the mystery of that kid-on-a-train grew and intensified until finally, my debut novel, Licence to Die (GRUnGE.001) was conceived … as a complex, converging narrative with not one, but three protagonists and a timeline that followed them from youths to new adults. I’d just become a first-time book-baby parent raising problem triplets. Oi Vey!  

Despite my formulating ideas (and outlines) for two other novels, at least one of which promised an easier one-protagonist confinement and labour, the story of the kid-on-the-train et al kept nagging until I surrendered and began the complex learning curve to bring it into being.

While the dominant advice for first-time novelists was ‘Keep it Simple’, I scrambled for information on how to make a complex structure work. When you’re tasked with solving a complex unfamiliar problem, you need progressive instruction that builds your skills. I was thankful for Elizabeth Lyon’s, ‘Manuscript Makeover’ which doesn’t shy away from complex structures, characterisation, etc, but tackles them logically and methodically. Also thankful for my wise and experienced editor, Iola Goulton.   

(Image: Excerpt from Elizabeth Lyon's Manuscript Makeover: Whole Book: Journeys and Less Common Structures)

Unlike me, you may be sensible enough to progress logically, start writing the simple familiar and work your way up to the more complex. To be fair, I’d written a lot of stuff before I commenced formal writing studies, then written better stuff—including poetry, creative non-fiction, devotions, and short fiction which has been published—before I began writing a novel. So I’m not merely advocating a ‘jump in the deep end before you’ve learned to swim’ approach.

But I would like to encourage you not to fear, or avoid, the complex unfamiliar just because it is complex, and unfamiliar. This applies to any situation (she sighs as she thinks about marketing and promotion), not just writing. I’m currently adding the steep learning curve of Indie Publishing to my problem-solving repertoire; I feel like a novice, I’m progressing at a snail’s pace, but I’m not sorry I chose to try. There is a wealth of helpful advice out there, even if you must search diligently to find the answers you need to solve your specific dilemma.   

But, as my beloved maths/science teacher husband reminds his students, it’s easier to redirect a moving body than to energise a stationary object.

Sometimes you just gotta start,

and learn the 'how to' as you go.

As we research, learn, practice, develop skills, and persevere, the complex unfamiliar becomes less so; the challenge becomes less daunting; success becomes more attainable. And your specific, personal, unique contribution to the world of literature will find its niche …

Yes, we can learn and apply formulas and writing principles and helpful tried-and-tested methods, but no two writers will follow the same, precise path to or through a story. The discoveries you make as you work to solve your unique story challenges, could hold the precise answer or encouragement your reader needs. 

Still feeling reluctant to tackle that complex, nagging problem? Or writing project? Or marketing and promotional strategy?  

I’m sure you’re not alone.

When the complex seems beyond our comprehension, it’s good to remember that nothing is too difficult for God. He’s a wonderful, patient teacher who’s always on call.

When unfamiliar circumstances or writing opportunities and dilemmas challenge you to reach for a solution, how do you go about it?

Mazzy Adams is a published author of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. She has a passion for words, pictures, and the positive potential in people. 

Website: www.mazzyadams.com

Email: maz@mazzyadams.com