Hi my loves! I'm back with another blog tour! We have a guest in here for today. We have Ms. Wynne Channing, the author of What Kills Me. Now, let's see what Ms Wynne Channing have for all of us.
Title: When a giant film production company takes apart your novel, what do you do?
Thank you so much to Journey With Books for renting me this space on her great blog to chat a little about giving and receiving criticism.
“You should attempt to veil your petty jealousy over not being nearly as kind, talented or beautiful as [actress]."
I got smacked with this message from a movie distributor after I wrote an obviously less than positive critique of his film. As part of my job at a national newspaper in Canada, I write movie reviews. I re-read that message several times, until the sting went away and
then I swallowed the note (not literally — though eating paper is probably more pleasant than getting criticism).
According to Anthony Lane, the film critic at The New Yorker, the task of a critic “is the recreation of texture...filing a sensory report on the kind of experience into which they will be wading.” It’s something that I try to do. I inform and entertain, and hopefully, you will get a sense of whether the film is right for you. My goal is to serve the reader. And by all means, disagree with me. That’s what a review is, an opinion, an invitation to dialogue.
So when I published my debut young adult novel, What Kills Me, this summer, I eagerly awaited reviews. Of course, you want people to devour your book (again, not literally) and then love and obsess over it so much that it borders on unhealthy. But literature is
art. And art is subjective.
Firstly, I am grateful to anyone who would take the time to read my adventure story. Secondly, that he/she would spend even more time sharing their thoughts is awesome. That’s it. Whether they loved it or hated it. I’m impressed that someone cared enough either way.
I’ve never been anything but happy to work with book bloggers. But they’re individuals. They have lives. They may or may not read my book. They may or may not like my book. Authors can expect mutual respect but a promise of anything else, I think, is unrealistic.
So far as an author, I’ve been fortunate. Tons of people have reviewed What Kills Me and most of them rated it five stars. But a handful have given me, let’s call it, “constructive criticism,” including a production company who reviewed it for film/
television purposes. I studied that in-depth analysis of my novel by a company that produces million-dollar blockbuster films and I loved every critical word. I’m working on the sequel to What Kills Me and will keep some points in mind.
There will always be critics. There will always be haters. The two are different: I once wrote a very personal feature about my first heart break and a reader commented online that I sound “like a nut bar, and any guy with his head on straight should keep away.”
That is an example of a hater.
If you were brave enough to share your word with the public, you have the courage to weather the reaction and sift through the noise for lessons. To authors, my advice (as a nut bar) is: listen to the critics, ignore the haters. To reviewers, my advice is: Be honest,
be respectful, your opinion matters.
What Kills Me
An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire
race.
So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive.
How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?
What Kills Me Links:
Buy What Kills Me:
All about Wynne Channing:
Wynne Channing is an award-winning national newspaper reporter and young adult novelist. She loves telling stories and as a journalist, she has interviewed everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman to the president of the Maldives and Duchess Sarah Ferguson.
The closest she has come to interviewing
a vampire is sitting down with True Blood's Alexander Skarsgard (he didn’t bite). She briefly considered calling her debut novel "Well" so then everyone would say: "Well written by Wynne Channing."
Where to find Wynne:
Giveaway:
Wynne is kindly offering a signed bookmark with butterfly charm and copy of What Kills Me to one lucky winner.
US/CANADA ONLY
I'd figure out if I could teleport.
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteI nominated your blog for a One Lovely Blog Award!
Hope you can stop by mine to check it out! :)
http://www.tyrony.com/2012/09/the-best-of-prize-is-surprise-willy.html
Andreia