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Novel Review or Personal Health
Over the past few months, I have been friends with this guy who wound up being emotionally abusive to me. I finally managed to escape from it 3 weeks ago when we got into a fight about my Christian beliefs (being called self-centered, delusional, and an idiot in the process...), and haven't talked to him since.
He was in the middle of reviewing my novel at the time, critiquing 8 of the 10 chapters. Yesterday, he e-mailed me his critique of the last 2.
I want my novel to be the best it can be, but I'm not sure if I should read it or not. I know it's going to hurt to read, but it'll also help the story.
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Maybe give some free advice about: Abusive Relationships?
First of all never put aside your beliefs for anyone. They are who you are at the core. Anyone who would challenge them or tell you how to practice them is NOT worth it. If they ignite a fight over them than no matter who they are that's dead wrong. You're a strong Christian and that's is that.
I hate to use the term "dick" but that's what this guy is. Yes, that is crude but I'm trying to emphasize you are better than this mega loser. Big mistake if you try to get back together. Don't because he will make you miserable and compromise who you are.
As far as being self-centered goes I cannot think of a more self-centered thing to do than fight your partner over their religious beliefs and trying to make them change. However, he could have the right to be pissed off only if you tried to make him adopt Christian beliefs and he wasn't interested. It's different if you did that.
You don't sound like an idiot to me at least. As far as delusional goes again that involves a mental health issue. You have to have grandiose thinking, no idea what reality is at any given time, sense of omnipotence and something far out you believe as well as see for starters. If that isn't you than it's just another word he is tossing around meant to get at you. Nice guy.
As far as your book goes the one thing I can tell you being a writer is to write this book for yourself and what you would want to read first and foremost. Even if it never gets published you will learn how to write like a professional in the end and pick up all sorts of things. It will help you fully express yourself.
Next, don't give it to some boyfriend who doesn't know beans about writing and especially don't value what he has to say after a fight. Instead, find someone you don't know such as a teacher or prof to read it or someone in journalism or editing if you know such a person. They know what a good book is and isn't and where you need to focus.
The best book you could ever get that will make you a dynamite writer if you follow it through and do all the assignments is Lucille Vaughan Payne "The Lively Art of Writing" Amazon should have it it. That book is like the Bible and will teach you a lot about structure.
If your novel is publishable you need to get a literary agent to read it first of all and shop it around secondly if they think it's a book that will sell.
I echo the self-publishing advice given below. It's a tempting thing but don't. You do wind up with books you will have a hard time to sell if ever and have to give tons of money upfront to have them print it for you. It's a bit of a scam.
The other thing is people who self-publish usually get written off as that they cannot write well and that anybody can do this kind of thing if they have the $.
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I cannot say what to make of your friends review of your novel other than I would, given present circumstances, give it little to no regard as he may have an ax to grind and was not as objective a person you needed to review it for you.
If you wish to be published you must read through your novel to check for any mistakes in content, grammar and spelling you may have made. The cleaner you novel is on presentation to a publisher the better chances you have of attracting an editor who will help you get published.
Find a friend who enjoys the type of book you have written and ask them to read it and give you an honest critique. Then based on his or her critique decide if you want to punch the novel up before trying to get published.
Understand this about unsolicited novels. It is the rare writer who gets published when presenting an unsolicited novel. It is not you or your writing they are rejecting. Publishing is a business and like any business they work with the known money makers.
Do not accept any offers of self publishing. This is where you pay someone to publish your Novel. You end up with a bunch of books then you have to go out a secure space in bookstores to sell them.
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