Into the Fire

Okay. Patti Lacy and Andi Newberry commented on different posts regarding the opinions of novels and the writing of reviews. Patti, published author of An Irishwoman’s Tale and the new release What the Bayou Saw, suggested that since the CBA writing community is quite small, she has opted for the kinder, gentler approach to any reviewing she might do. Implying that she has been somewhat battered and bruised for possible other kinds of responses to fellow writers’ novels, she has chosen the high ground for the building up of our Christian brothers and sisters in the writing arena, coming to the truthful conclusion there are always plenty of the negative types of reviews out here in webdom and elsewhere. Interesting that she posted the identical comment to a negative review of the same novel on someone else’s blog. Andi was sweet in chastising me for writing what she supposed was unintentional but nevertheless “harsh” stuff in some reviews.

Since I doubt either one of these ladies has been visiting this blog for long, I’m guessing they’re referring to my recent review of a novel for the CFBA Tour, one I confess I didn’t really want to write precisely because of the reasons covered in the review. I checked with several other reviewers to find one other reader agreed with my assessment (mentioned above) and many others absolutely loved the book. So there you have it.

Writers never want to admit it—okay, some writers don’t—that we can’t please all readers. It’s impossible to satisfy everyone’s reading taste buds (shouldn’t that be one word?!). Anyway, the logical conclusion to that is I will love some books you can’t stomach and the reverse will be true as well.

I read very specific genres. I know what I like. I love to find new authors—whether or not they’re “new” or just new to me—with amazing voices and different styles. I could give a great review of a novel you will absolutely loathe and detest a novel you absolutely love—which obviously has happened here with the few I’ve given a poor review to—as Patti noted in her comment about herself. But Andi told me I came off as harsh when I expressed my reasons for not liking a novel. Geez.

My first novel (Hope Of Glory) is a critic’s nightmare—or fiesta. First novel-itis to the max. I know that. The whole point of that novel was to finish a specific assignment to me from the Lord. Roll your eyes, tsk tsk all you want. It’s true. I know He is pleased that I persevered over the 8 and ½ years when I never thought it was ever going to get done—but it did. Racetrackers and non-racetrackers have been touched by its story in spite of all the negligence to the rules of writing. It served its purpose. I did what the Lord asked of me.

My second novel begins in the omniscient voice/POV which eventually fades as the protagonist matures. It’s really written like a fictional biography. One individual criticized the approach and didn’t get through even 50 pages. It stung. I won’t pretend it didn’t. But there’s a difference between someone not getting your approach to a novel and someone who can’t relate to how you wrote the book. Maybe those two things don’t sound very different from each other, and perhaps I could’ve figured out a way to express them better, but so be it for now.

The primary reason I won’t like a novel is because I can’t relate or connect to or establish some minute kind of rapport with the character(s). That’s number one for me. So if you write a novel, and I don’t like your character(s), then I’m going to say why I don’t like him/them which I know translates to the way you wrote them. I’ve written seven novels and have two others started, so believe me when I say I know how important these “people” become to us. If we put our heart and soul into writing them and then some dipstick like myself says she hates them, well, sackcloth and ashes seems the appropriate garb to the funereal feelings.

Bottom line: I don’t want to hurt people. I take no pleasure in doing a bad review. It’s just my opinion. I might be the only one in the audience of readers who doesn’t like the book. I’ll try to keep “harsh” out of them, but I guess I have to tell the truth about my own feelings or experience with the novel, and I hope I don’t ruin any writer’s day with my solitary opinion.

Father, you know my heart. Please correct where it needs correction. I ask it in the Name of Jesus, Amen.