I got some really encouraging feedback from my advisor yesterday on my most recent submission. She's asked for lots of changes, but was positive in lots of ways and made some great constructive comments for restructuring, deleting, and re-ordering the balance. Feedback is really helpful in pushing me past that lost feeling. I was kind of caught this week, pushing forward on a new essay but having no clue where I need or want to go with it. That groping feeling can be uncomfortable. But with the comments have helped to situate me and have pointed me in the direction of something more attainable. So for this month, I am going to push on with the new work but also revise last month's submission. The most encouraging lines are: "As a reader, I don't want to let go of this piece!" and "I feel you are on the brink of something significant." What more could a writer want to spur her on! I also got some useful advice for my thesis -- she is suggesting a series of essays, perhaps interlinked, perhaps not. That is perfect because I have discovered that essay is the form to which I am most drawn at the moment.
The most useful feedback doesn't gush. My advisor offered the best combination of gentle prodding, firm directives, no-nonsense drawing attention to what is getting in the way and needs to change, and confidence-building little gems to make me want to stick with the process.
2 comments:
Hey, that's excellent feedback, ti. I wouldn't even know what gushing sounds like, but I think personally I might like it. But the prods help too. So, does this mean you're not doing your memoir?
Thinking in terms of memoir was sort of oppressive. Maybe I'll have enough to write a memoir one day, but right now I am liking shorter runs at it. I like the freedom of not having to commit.
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