Random Musing

[temporus]

Random writerly type thought for the day: 

If you are the type to think metaphorically of your stories as your children, do you extend the metaphor and think of the stories you've critiqued as your nieces/nephews?

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

The stories I write are my children...the stories I critique are my children's friends who come over to play, in some cases those kind of friends I want to toss out of the house!

[temporus.livejournal.com]

I think it depends upon where I'm doing the critiquing. If I'm talking about my core crit group, then I feel more connected than that. If it's a big online group, like Critters, yeah, my connection with the author is much more tenuous, and so it might feel more like you describe.

[jongibbs.livejournal.com]

lol :)

[dqg-neal.livejournal.com]

*chuckles*
Does that mean the ones I publish are my adopted children or step children?

[temporus.livejournal.com]

Good followup question. I hadn't even thought of it from the editorial/publisher side of that metaphor yet.

What sparked the initial thought is the fact that while I'm always happy to see my friends selling their work there's something more satisfying in seeing a story sell that I "watched grow up."

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I don't think of them as children . . . hmmm.

[temporus.livejournal.com]

I don't think that the metaphor stands up, for quite a number of reasons. But I often hear it bandied around lightly among writerly circles, and wondered how I might extend the metaphor.

[jongibbs.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the nieces and nephews you wish your own kids were like :)