How To Deal With Critiques

Sometimes a critique is hard on a new writer.  Maybe it’s because I have a bit of an ego to have some one tell you that, well this writing is bad.  It’s one thing to have a person whom you understand is angry about you writing complain about your writing, it’s a different thing when it’s someone whom you originally wanted to impress.

I have a lot to learn about editing.  I have a lot to learn about listening to critiques when they are given to me to help me grow.

It is hard.  It hurts.

However, lesson learned.  Dealing with critiques is more about who and where you are as a writer than how many excuses and reasons for bad writing you can come up with to others.  Part of this is learning to edit your own work on that first draft.  I learned that “this” “that” and “them” are all true words and spell check doesn’t see them as wrong.  However, my reader saw them in black and white.

It didn’t make mean overly angry- but out came the excuses.  It’s a first draft.  It’s just some ideas.  I’ve got time.

This wise man looked at me and said to me, it’s still bad.  As much as I wanted to impress him, he impressed me with the comment.  He didn’t take my excuses, he worked with me, and forced me to learn more.  The challenges of a modern day writer didn’t seem to bother him at all.

 This means to me: that you edit something you need to do so on a regular basis and have the time to do so.

The less you worry about what people will think and the more you focus on making it better, the happier you will be as a writer.