A person who just finished reading my book emailed me and told me that it was "enthralling!" What a compliment! I hope I'll never take these wonderful feedbacks for granted, no matter how successful I become (if I get that lucky).
The weird thing is...after the book was published, I have had a hard time reading it again because...
1. I must have read the manuscript more than I care to count when I was editing it over and over. When I had to edit one last time before it was submitted for publishing, I've asked my husband to put me out of my misery.
2. I keep noticing all the place where I could have written better.
I'm only human and I have to admit it makes me feel very good to get these feedbacks, especially since I feel very insecure about my writing because...
1. English is my second language.
2. I majored in Mechanical Engineering in college.
3. I didn't formally study writing or literature.
I think I'll just stop here. Anyhow, thank you for all those who encourage me in so many ways. I do need these to fight my insecurity.
But...what I want most of all is to become a better writer. And in order for me to do that, I need to know what I'm not doing well. And for obvious reasons (especially from my friends or acquaintances), I don't get criticisms very often. I am very open to inputs of every kind, and as I embark on this journey to edit and rewrite my behemoth manuscript, I really need them. All I ask is to be kind.
I did get some real nasty ones from an agent before and they leave you breathless in abject misery (unfortunately, these were not very helpful because they were generalities). Abject misery would be OK, at least momentarily, if there was something I learned and gained in the process. Good thing I bounce back fairly quickly.
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