Writer's critique kicked my butt

Fresh from (my part) of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators' pre-conference writer's critique, and my little brain is whipped. These guys are good, and it was enough to make me want to take a long step back from the book.

Maybe into the next state.

I read three of the short stories from the book, and the reaction was mixed. I would have liked a funner, maybe more excited response, but there you go. I got some helpful feedback and ideas on how to make things work, but I guess I was hoping I was further along in the writing process than maybe I actually am. Like some of that stuff I had written was already working.

Bummer.

But their ideas were good.

No. They were great.

Which makes me feel just a wee bit more inadequate as a writer than I had felt even before I sat down at their table.

Ugh!

I ate a lot when I got back to my room is all I'm saying. And to make myself feel even more inadequate, I think I'll read a little Neil Gaiman Smoke and Mirrors to put myself to sleep.

66 pages and counting!

I'm just finishing up some illustrations that will put the page count for the book at 66! That's about one-third the final length I had in mind, but it seems to be coming together quickly enough.

I'm planning on writing about 225-240 pages to send off to a few hand-picked and trusted friends to read and evaluate and provide feedback. Once I hear back from them, I'll be editing and whittling until everything is the best it can be before I send it off to editors, which might require hacking off a few pages.

Maybe I'll use a hatchet.

A machete?