I did something earlier tonight that I haven’t done in quite a while: I attended a local writers group.
It’s one of those informal gathering of writers, some published, some not, who like to present pieces they have written and get feedback. It’s intimidating, but the group seems to be made up of writers who are very positive and encouraging of each other, which is, unfortunately, rare from the writers groups I have been exposed to in the past.
I was hoping to have something to bring this evening. I had planned to bring my brand-new prologue from the work-in-progress, but it just wasn’t ready for anyone else’s eyes. I have rewritten it, removing one of the last holdouts from an earlier version of the plot that I knew wouldn’t work, but was determined to make work, anyway. Last weekend, I decided to remove it once and for all. It was a decision I should have made about a year or so ago.
Stubbornness is not a virtue, I remind myself.
So I am in the process of reworking that prologue in a manner that will get me into the main character’s situation faster and more efficiently, rather than introducing a key character who will play a big role towards the end but will be little more than a shadow character through much of the early parts of the novel. I think it will work much better that way. Hopefully by this time next month, I’ll have something to present to them.
If they feed you, and encourage and support you, by all means go there. If you’ve had an opportunity to dispassionately evaluate the worthiness of their reviews and/or Critiques, use them for that purpose.
You are correct, I believe. Such groups are a blessing among the din of those whose sole purpose, it seems, it to discourage (sometimes to the point of abuse) writers. I am glad you have such a tool available to you.