A Writer's Rant

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I am a writer (fiction). My mother writes academic books and decided to write a nonfiction for a nonacademic audience a few months back based on the stuff she gives lectures on. Last week she gave me her manuscript to look over. I spent a couple of hour this morning looking over the introduction and was shocked by how bad it was. How would I tell her? I worked out why it was so bad and going by her previous books (they were fine) how she could sort it out. I had an appointment and went off to it thinking over how I would put what needed to be said. Returning I decided to get it over with so I phoned and asked to go round to her house to discuss her book. She said yes and when I got there and said it had a big problem she explained that the publisher of her other books had said they want to publish it. When I tried to explain what was wrong she just said 'ok, I have broad shoulders' she seemed disinterested in details and I couldn't go over the points with her because her laptop was charging. At this point I thought I would just finish my tea and go. Then she gets the laptop prints me a copy and says to say what's wrong.

First, the titles of each section. I've barely started and she says 'oh they are only working titles so they'll change anyway'. Then the intro, and it's completely different. The first two paragraphs are all new, the style of it all, which was the problem (patronising and rambling) is now in line with her other work. I point this out and she says 'I've only tweaked it'. I try to pick out the problems but it now has chapter breaks and she's taken out all the rambling so I'm left with commas being in the wrong place. 'I won't do those till the end,' she says. Then my step-dad comes in and is all defensive 'The publisher liked it' and I snap 'well, if my opinion is irrelevant why ask for it?'

So today I spent five hours all together trying to make some one else's book better that I should have spent on my own.

She wants me to look at the rest of it. I will give it a quick look and respond with 'it's lovely'

Yep....parents can be a trip sometimes!

It's all ego, really.....

I feel like I was set up to be the bad guy.

I've had larger, I was so annoyed.

And she got a publisher on the first try (she was only approaching them to see who they would recommend because they don't do nonacademic).

Never mind, it's not as if my time and effort is worth anything

You know why they do that, don't you? Because they can. So make sure they no longer can as soon as possible.

I’d like to see some of your work sometime, Fluffy.

Critiquing the work of family and friends is an absolute minefield.
I've decided to stop doing it, nothing good comes of it.

I'd be interested to read your work, too. Keep us posted when you publish?

Thanks for the support guys.

Unfortunately the situation has worsened, the story now is that I went round there and said horrible things to my mum about the writing that everyone else likes. This is not what actually happened but there are enough fragments of truth amid the false impression that I'm left looking like a horrible person and as if I can't tell ok writing from bad writing. I have a million faults but I am never spiteful and writing is my passion and I am always honest about it though I do try to be tactful.


As to the novel I am rewriting it, post large scale structural changes, and hope to have this draft done in three months.