I like to think of myself as pretty
hip to the WEbook scene. Every single new WEbooker receives a message
from me, containing priceless pointers on writing, reading, reviewing, and
generally hanging out on the site. I
have like 6 million WEbook friends. (Okay,
more like 552. But you, dear reader,
could make it 553, if only you cared.) I
spend all day reading WEbook projects, chiming in on my favorite forums, writing
about WEbook on this blog, and singing "Yellow Submarine"to myself at the top
of my lungs.
Still, not even I, professional super-WEbooker, can possibly have a line on every great project or person on the site -- which is why I now accept nominations for both featured projects and WEbooker of the WEek. That policy is paying off today.
I was tickled pink when MJ_Heiser wrote to tell me of Julian_Finn, this WEek's WEbooker. How exciting! I'd never heard of the guy! MJ_Heiser assured me that, not only was Julian_Finn an astoundingly skilled writer, he also gave some of the best feedback on the site.
I have a serious soft spot for feedback, so I checked out Julian_Finn's profile. Here's what I found: Julian_Finn has submitted work to five collaborative writing projects on WEbook. He's particularly fond of a short piece he wrote for Fresh Flash, called "A song for every occasion," which, he says, "is about the Beatles and the end of the world."
But Julian_Finn's feedback really takes the cake. To date, he has written 162 reviews on WEbook. And we're not talking about the "OMG this is sooooo graet, lol" kind of review. No, Julian_Finn is such a fantastic feedbacker, he could write the book on it. (If I hadn't done that already, in the WEbook Guide to Feedback.) He digs right into plot, character, logic, and more, and lets writers know what they're doing right -- and what still needs work.
Want proof? Check out Chapter 4, Part 2 of MJ_Heiser's novel, Turn the Page. Says Julian_Finn about this piece of writing:
Your prose in this section is sooo crisp and so clean that I didn't have to pull out my trusty notepad once. I loved Scott's perspective on Ashley -- great way to have us see what's going on with her, without maudlin journal entries or stream of consciousness moping.
With constructiveness and specificity like that, it's no wonder Julian_Finn is WEbooker of the WEek. But who is he really? Like a good journalist, I got to the bottom of things with some tough questions.
Q: Julian_Finn, who are you really?
A: I grew up in Ottawa, Ontario and,
since my 18th birthday, have lived in almost every province in Canada, as well
as six month stints in Malaysia and Thailand during an ill advised
"finding myself" trip. I've spent most of my adult life working a
variety of corporate sales gigs as well as a year spent running my own
promotional marketing firm in Halifax.
Q: How many meals do you eat in a day?
A: Two, and I graze constantly while I write.
Which is a bad thing.
Q: What is your candid opinion on the value of naps?
A: While I love them dearly, I always feel guilty after taking a long one.
Especially when I'm in writing mode, nothing saps the creative juices like too
much sleep. Go for walks instead.
Q: What was your childhood bedroom like?
A: Much like my living room as an adult. Superman posters on every wall and
boxes of comic books stacked everywhere. I'm constantly mystified by the fact
that I never outgrew that particular phase.
Q: What's next for your writing?
A: I'm extremely grateful for the help I
received from other WEbookers during the writing process; I'm a big believer in
the feedback process and I truly feel that any writer can benefit from a
critical audience. I just started work
on my next book and will posting the first few chapters on the site sometime
next week.
Do you have a line on the wonderfullest writer on WEbook? The fantastickest feedbacker? Or anyone else who goes above and beyond to make WEbook the best writing, reading, and publishing community on the internet? Drop me an email, or visit my profile and send me a message with the title "WEbooker of the WEek" to nominate your favorite WEbooker and he or she will have a shot at joining the ranks of the immortals -- and getting a free WEbook T-shirt to boot.
If reading about Julian_Finn convinced you of the value of feedback, sign up for WEbook today and start reading, writing, and feedbacking. If it didn't convince you, I'll eat my hat. And I don't even wear a hat!
-- Melissa
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