Rebel Blog

At our November meeting, we welcomed a promising new writer to our group, Melissa Sullivan.  This was after a broad, extended, patient, and very selective search.  Congrats, Melissa!

Melissa came to our attention through the Bucks County Writers Workshop.  She is working on a novel with an uncommon format, in which the reader learns about the protagonist and her challenges and journey through a series of short stories each in the point of view of a different character that encounters the protag at different periods of her life.  We look forward to seeing more of this project and hope to be a positive influence on it.

As we try to do at each meeting, we discussed each Rebel’s current work.  We drifted into acknowledging, for the many^th time, the dedication that an erstwhile novelist must have in the current environment, to break into a fiction market that is hardened and fragmented.  Of course, it takes talent too.  And luck.  In any creative field, it’s about being in the right place at the right time with the right thing –– and always has been.

Rebels are now taking a two-month hiatus from gathering, to focus down, each of us individually, on our respective novel projects over the holidaze and first few weeks of the new year.  Time to put the hours in an plunge forward.  Go, Rebs!

At our earlier October meeting, with a prospective new member (Melissa) in attendance, we had a great chance to discuss some of the things that define the Rebel Writers and its culture as a critique group:

• We are willing, and routinely do, review full novel manuscripts of our members, giving reviewing members a month or two to complete their read, with notes and summary due to the author.
• Members often get a full two hours of feedback on their novel-length manuscripts by a small group, with plenty of room for open discussion, comparing and contrasting of responses to the work, possible debate among critiquers, and even additional input from the author.
• However, the author whose work is being critiqued has no obligation in the discussion, other than to listen carefully and politely, which should be his or her primary role in the critique session. Our format does, however, give the author opportunity to try to explain intent and design in the writing, especially in response to questions and in order that the group can make suggestions to help the writer achieve his or her goals even better. The critquee has no obligation to assent or accede in any manner to any praise or criticism.  The author should simply take away all the input and consider, on his or her own, what feedback works, what resonates and, therefore, what should influence revision of the manuscript.

That’s the way to do it!  Go Rebels.