(Photo by Konstantin Lazorkin)
I’m in the middle of a manuscript-swap critique with another mystery writer, and while I’m looking forward to his feedback on my novel, I have to say I’ve really enjoyed the experience of reading his with a critical eye.
There’s a voyeuristic thrill reading a work-in-progress. You’re seeing someone’s imagination half-dressed, not quite ready to present itself to the world all dolled up and polished. It’s rough around the edges (and sometimes all the way through), maybe riddled with typos, and not entirely sure of itself. Tense and point-of-view are shifting, ephemeral. Characters haven’t quite found their voices. And that’s kind of cool.
I’m not speaking philosophically about the beauty of imperfection (though I do happen to think perfection is boring, aesthetically speaking), but literally about seeing the way another writer approaches the ideas of plot and character development and pacing. It’s like watching a house under construction, seeing all the framing and layers you take for granted when you walk through someone’s dining room, and the cool thing, especially when you’re reading a stranger’s work, is not even knowing what the house is actually going to look like when it’s completed.
I’m mixing my metaphors now. Probably should have put some stockings on those I-beams.
michelle heimburger 