A while ago I worked up the courage to book Utsudo’s manuscript review. (I’m a bit shy, so I didn’t dare choose the public critique — the review is a private call.) Because it was one-on-one, I could focus completely on the discussion. I was nervous at first, but Utsudo was friendly and patient, and gave me concrete, practical advice on my manuscript.

Translated from the author’s original Chinese testimonial.

　　The piece I sent had once received an honorable mention in a publisher’s contest. The judges’ comments still didn’t show me why it couldn’t win a top prize, and friends don’t always give honest feedback — it was only after Utsudo read it that I understood. For example, I tend to write very long prologues, and she suggested roughly how long one should be and what it should contain. I tend to introduce lots of characters early, and she advised when each should appear. And I often explain a character’s background through their dialogue, so she suggested showing it through the plot instead of stating it outright… and so on.

　　Because of my budget, I didn’t send many words for the review, but they revealed blind spots I kept repeating without ever noticing. When I reopened stories I wrote years ago, or new ones I’d started, I saw that unless I changed the way I write, the same structural problems would appear in every work! Once you know your blind spots, you can apply the principles she taught when starting something new and know how to write it from the start — instead of writing pile after pile of scenes and then endlessly revising and cutting.

　　I believe writers who are truly determined to improve their work can get even more practical revision methods by sending Utsudo more of their manuscript. I’ve since used her approach to restructure a new work and submit it — and after being rejected over and over, I was finally picked up by a publisher QAQ It isn’t a big publisher, but a good start is a good thing, and friends who’ve published told me to seize the chance; getting accepted really isn’t easy these days. Most importantly, all this gave me back my motivation to write. Thank you, Utsudo, for showing me the way!

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