As I mentioned in my profile, I've always loved horses. When I was four, I showed my father my first crude renderings, and his stock response was, "Head's too small."
He maintained this opinion well into my adult years. In spite of his tongue-in-cheek critiques, I knew by the look in his eyes that he was proud of me.
He still is. I don't know about other writers, but my father constantly harangued me from across the continent, asking almost weekly, "So how's the book coming?"
He was one of my first beta readers, and of course he loves my books. Both of them.
I know, I know... a family member's glowing review is not necessarily going to get me on the New York Times Bestseller List, nor is it going to get me an agent. As Miss Snark says, "Good writing trumps all."
However, favourable comments from family members and friends do help a writer find the guts to keep going. Not to give up.
Don't festoon your query letter with silly statements like, "My Mom loves it." Save the glowing reviews from your parents for the dedication page. A heartfelt email or phone call can't hurt, either.
3 comments:
Lots of people say, "Your family is going to love anything you do, blah blah blah." They say it like they're suggesting you could blow up a state building and your family is programmed to like it. While my family members will never be my editor, agent, publisher, etc etc, what they say still affects me, and my writing, a great deal. There are times when I want to throw my writing, along with my computer and every notebook in the house, into the river and call it a fun time. Then, someone in my family says how much they like my writing or how proud of me they are for being so ambitious about things I like to do, and I find the balls to write another story.
In the end, your family usually can't give you contructive help. But they certainly help you hold on to your dreams.
Very astute, my dear Tsuki. Keep it up, kiddo!
I know if it wasn't for my family I probably would have given it up a long time ago.
Moral support is just as important as technical help.
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