ACCEPTING CRITICISM

By Sharon May

Imagine a great story comes to you. The words flow so naturally you finish a draft that week, and over the next few weeks, you tweak it. You have the urge to share your labor of love. The first reader is a relative, who points out the occasional error and brags about that line of dialogue you are so proud of. Emboldened, you begin sharing with others close to you, all of whom encourage you “to do something with it.”

Days later, leaving the library, you notice a flyer for a writer’s group. You debate whether to take your story to the workshop. Finally, you decide to join the group. Your turn to share your work arrives, and you bravely, but nervously, read your story.

One by one, the other writers evaluate your work. “I like how you.… You might try…. This sentence confused me. It would work better if this scene were moved. I’m not sure of the main character’s motivation.” An eternity goes by before they stop. You feel like a Mack truck rear-ended you. And, not a single one of them noticed that great line. Driving home, you replay the experience over and over, doubting your ability to write despite receiving some positive feedback.

Intellectually, we know receiving criticism requires taking the negative with the positive. Yet, negative criticism can cause a knee-jerk emotional reaction, especially the first time we experience it. Or, when we let the writing define us, i.e. “bad writing, bad person,” which is what many inexperienced writers have to unlearn.

If you want to improve as a writer, you will want any and everybody to give feedback. Readers show you what works and doesn’t work. You will see patterns in the comments, which gives you clues on what needs attention. Most importantly, you will get ideas for other ways to tell the story.

Learn how to accept criticism gracefully and how to benefit from it because you may decide to share your work with agents or publishing companies. If you can’t handle negative comments from peers, you certainly aren’t prepared for rejection letters.

Also hire an editor even if you have to save pennies to do so. It is the best monetary investment you can make in your writing. The best independent editors have worked for publishing companies. Do research to find one that specializes in your genre.

Readers’ comments are not about you, but the text, which can always be improved. Writers can lose perspective at times and thus, need a reality check. Criticism helps us distance ourselves from our work and helps us see our words through the eyes of a reader, an experience which leads us become our own best critic.

Remember you don’t have to change a word if you don’t agree with the readers. What you do have to do is respect the feedback and give it serious consideration, or you’ve wasted everyone’s time.