Getting better....

Well, after a telephone discussion with my Producer from CBC Anthology I can say that things are better. It was so strange to actually feel sick to my stomach and even cry a bit over what someone did to my writing. It was only 500 measly words!

I now understand what he wanted (which wasn't terrifically clear in his email) and now he actually understands the piece. I had challenges talking to him because he tended to cut me off as though he was anticipating what I was going to say because he'd heard similar things from other writers. When I "got tough" and used my teacher voice I think he actually started to listen to me. It is not the first time that I have encountered this attitude from "writing instructors". They definitely have their own script. I think when they are busy listening for the same old arguments they aren't really listening to what is being said AND they don't realise that they are saying things without regard for whether it actually fits the situation. It frustrates me because I find discussion valuable for my writing and if I feel like I am not being heard or that what I am saying is being dismissed then I feel stifled. Even if I am saying something they have heard before I still need to go through that journey because it is new to me.

Anyhow, I think I have "fixed" the piece and except for some refining that I want to do as of a re-read this morning I think it is pretty much done. I think the changes satisfy me and him so hopefully it's a go.

Oh, and one "twisted" thing. He suggested that his "edit" (the one that made me feel sick to my stomach) was to kind of shock me into action. Hello?! WTF?! This had occurred to me but I didn't think a "professional" would really deal with a "client" that way. Why can't people deal with people straight up? He also encouraged me to call him if I needed him to "yell at me" --> because somehow that would produce good writing? I said I had enough people yelling at me, thanks anyway.