So I'm at that point in the (sixth) rewrite process where I have to start showing it to people again. I've got a good beta reader, I've got my Mom as my gee-I-need-encouragement reader, I've got my dad breathing down my neck ("When are you going to college? Why aren't you agented already? I've got a rich friend/business partner who will be GLAD to help you get published.") and I've probably spent every single waking moment NOT spent researching agents, their pet peeves and formatting rules rewriting to make it PERFECT. I KNOW I need to get outside opinions so that the rewriting is effective ...
...but I can't do it. The idea of showing my work to somebody, even my mom, is making me so anxious right now I want to throw up. Just talking about it is doing it again. I think it's not so much the idea of getting negative feedback as it is the idea that I could be so freaking wrong about what "good writing" is yet again. So I guess my question is:
1. Have you ever done this to yourself? Worked yourself into a corner?
2. How do I fix it?
And since I'm asking for advice ... about a year ago a local representing himself as a professional freelance editor (aka book doc) told me he'd do a trade-for-services, my art for his help editing my novel. Problem is that his "advice" was total crap (every change he gave me, I've since discarded) and most of our consultation sessions consisted of him holding pages of my manuscript to his chest while he waxes poetic about how wonderful it all is. The final straw, oddly enough, was his using nonstandard proofreader's marks and telling me "this is what you'll see when (not if) you get published". I've got one more meeting with the guy, I'm still willing to keep up my end of the bargain and do the artwork (Mostly to prevent him screaming at me that I'm scamming him out of his time), but I don't want to work with him anymore. I just don't know what to tell him the next time I have to talk to him. Help?
...but I can't do it. The idea of showing my work to somebody, even my mom, is making me so anxious right now I want to throw up. Just talking about it is doing it again. I think it's not so much the idea of getting negative feedback as it is the idea that I could be so freaking wrong about what "good writing" is yet again. So I guess my question is:
1. Have you ever done this to yourself? Worked yourself into a corner?
2. How do I fix it?
And since I'm asking for advice ... about a year ago a local representing himself as a professional freelance editor (aka book doc) told me he'd do a trade-for-services, my art for his help editing my novel. Problem is that his "advice" was total crap (every change he gave me, I've since discarded) and most of our consultation sessions consisted of him holding pages of my manuscript to his chest while he waxes poetic about how wonderful it all is. The final straw, oddly enough, was his using nonstandard proofreader's marks and telling me "this is what you'll see when (not if) you get published". I've got one more meeting with the guy, I'm still willing to keep up my end of the bargain and do the artwork (Mostly to prevent him screaming at me that I'm scamming him out of his time), but I don't want to work with him anymore. I just don't know what to tell him the next time I have to talk to him. Help?