A disturbing trend I've come across more and more recently is writers asking others not to critique their stories unless the critique talks about how awesome they are. People get so wrapped up emotionally in what they've written that it appears their world will fall apart if someone gives them something less than a stellar review.
Don't get me wrong - I love getting positive reviews. Most writers I know do. However, when I write a first draft of something, I want honest feedback on what may be wrong with it. Why? So I can fix it. After that, maybe more people will want to buy it and I can make a living at this whole writing thing. Besides, I can always ignore the critique if I think it lacks merit.
But what I'm finding is that so many hoity toity folks don't want any honest criticism. I understand this when it comes to someone getting personal, but even that can be ignored(I don't care if someone says my writing is putrid little piles of shit they wouldn't feed to starving children, but not everyone laughs off such stuff). Most criticism, however, isn't personal - it's professional. We join critique groups to find out how our story played. Why put it out there in a critique group if all you're looking for is affirmation? Get affirmation after you've published and such stuff will help sell more books, but during the process, it's nearly useless.
What's more, I'm finding more people telling me to "remember" where they're from when thinking out my critique. Let me put this straight - I don't give a shit where you are from, what your background is, or what you look like. I care whether or not you've written a story I enjoy. Your background has absolutely no bearing on it, and it serves only to silence criticism, as if someone who doesn't share the same story can only say nice things. Sorry, but a story stands on its own, and your background doesn't play into it. Your background may help you write a better story because it can give it more authenticity, but once it's written, it's the story that matters, not who you are.
Too many people tie their identity to their story, as if us not liking the story means we don't like them. I get it - we put loads of ourselves and our efforts into writing something, and it hurts when others don't think it's as awesome as we think it is. However, if I didn't want to help, I wouldn't read the damn thing to begin with. Don't expect me to like a story by default just because you tie it into who you are. If you're that sensitive, then I suggest that this whole writing thing may not be for you.
Don't get me wrong - I love getting positive reviews. Most writers I know do. However, when I write a first draft of something, I want honest feedback on what may be wrong with it. Why? So I can fix it. After that, maybe more people will want to buy it and I can make a living at this whole writing thing. Besides, I can always ignore the critique if I think it lacks merit.
But what I'm finding is that so many hoity toity folks don't want any honest criticism. I understand this when it comes to someone getting personal, but even that can be ignored(I don't care if someone says my writing is putrid little piles of shit they wouldn't feed to starving children, but not everyone laughs off such stuff). Most criticism, however, isn't personal - it's professional. We join critique groups to find out how our story played. Why put it out there in a critique group if all you're looking for is affirmation? Get affirmation after you've published and such stuff will help sell more books, but during the process, it's nearly useless.
What's more, I'm finding more people telling me to "remember" where they're from when thinking out my critique. Let me put this straight - I don't give a shit where you are from, what your background is, or what you look like. I care whether or not you've written a story I enjoy. Your background has absolutely no bearing on it, and it serves only to silence criticism, as if someone who doesn't share the same story can only say nice things. Sorry, but a story stands on its own, and your background doesn't play into it. Your background may help you write a better story because it can give it more authenticity, but once it's written, it's the story that matters, not who you are.
Too many people tie their identity to their story, as if us not liking the story means we don't like them. I get it - we put loads of ourselves and our efforts into writing something, and it hurts when others don't think it's as awesome as we think it is. However, if I didn't want to help, I wouldn't read the damn thing to begin with. Don't expect me to like a story by default just because you tie it into who you are. If you're that sensitive, then I suggest that this whole writing thing may not be for you.
One thing I am learning this year? Don't get attached to stories. In fact, after ruthlessly [my word for it] archiving a story draft that never took off, I realized how much I had grown attached to something that wasn't that good. I'm also learning how it's so important to get feedback and not take it too seriously. Sure, I don't LIKE being told my story doesn't work for some reason BUT after the burn of criticism cools down, I realize how it helped me. Not to mention, critiques are also just one persons opinion anyways. You may not like a talking duck that walks backwards to the moon, but that may be someone else's good time.
ReplyDeleteHow true. Criticism can hurt until you learn to brush it off and either use it to make what you've written better, or to decide it's not worth listening to. That's hard.
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