How do others see us?

  

As I look forward to the publication of my début novel by Tirgearr Publishing (who have their Anniversary sale on at the moment), I am still tidying my Rabbie Burns books away at the end of a prolonged celebration of our national bard. At one event I attended, there was a recitation of the poem To a Louse in which Burns penned the lines:

'O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!'

How do others see us - as writers? For example, when we write a novel, do our readers see our characters the way we do? Does the setting create the same pictures in a reader’s mind as those we are describing? Does our dialogue stimulate the emotions we are attempting to portray?

Of course we don’t know the answers to these questions until our novel is in the public domain – which is too late make changes that would have helped us to achieve our aims when we wrote the book.

There are, though, steps we can take to give our work the best possible chance of success in this regard. The following are words of advice I’ve been given by successful published writers.

• Once you have completed and self-edited your book, leave it for several weeks before you read it again. You then have an opportunity (up to a point) to see your work through the eyes of a reader.

• Spend time with other writers. Join a writing group.

• Arrange a professional edit of your manuscript if you can afford it. If not, give it to a writing friend and ask for an honest appraisal. You can do the same for him or her.

• Read, read, read.

I have three novels waiting for my attention in their separate boxes. I will apply the above advice to them once I wave good-bye to my début novel and send it out into the big wide world.

Meantime I shall take advantage of the sale at Tirgearr Publishing and furnish myself with books to read, read, read.