Thoughts About Writing

Today I received a review that I solicited from a website that focuses on Indie Authors. To be honest, I was a little disappointed.

I’m still working on the ‘need’ for everyone to be completely in love with my work. Being a writer isn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever done. I’m a good writer and continue to work on the execution of my craft.

The reviewer stated that she would have liked to see more drama between the characters. She also felt that the Nubian lifestyle I presented was too perfect and the resolution of conflicts a bit utopian. Her rating of the book was 3.7 stars out of 5.

The hardest part about the review was that I agreed with everything the reviewer said. I know that my writing has grown since book #1 and the characters of book #2 have greater depth. However the storyline continues to be a bit perfect and utopian and I don’t want to change a thing.

My reasoning is that I write for a particular segment of the child audience—‘Tweens. They're not quite old enough for the edgy/heavy stuff that’s in todays YA, and they’re a few steps beyond MG. They are also still in the stage of  building their dreams from fantasies not completely put away.

The other thing is that I believe in the need for innocence in a story. And that’s not because my readers are kids. That’s because it’s the kind of story that inspires me. It’s the kind of book I choose and the kind of movie that works for me.

And if that works for me, it’s got to work for someone else too.