|
|
Accepting CriticismBy Sandra Tayler
Becoming a writer is the process of acquiring skills. Many of these skills are directly related to writing. Skill in grammar, spelling, scene structure, descriptive language, characterization, and plot structure are all obvious necessities of the craft of writing. A less obvious skill is being able to receive criticism and use it wisely. I am still growing as a writer and I will be unable to grow in necessary ways unless I am able to accept criticism and glean useful information from it. Criticism can be painful, so I've developed a set of guidelines for myself to help me use criticism constructively. Most of these guidelines I’ve lifted wholesale from my writer friend Janci.
Critics will see problems with my story that I do not see. I know what I meant to say, but a critic will only see what I actually said. I need to listen when my critic is confused or frustrated by what I wrote.
Criticism must come from two or more sources before I accept it as valid. If a criticism is made that I agree with, then I have my two sources and a change needs to be made. If I disagree with a criticism, I hold onto it to see if any of my other critics comment on the same thing.
If I have two critics with the same complaint, I compare the two critics. If they are both male computer tech guys who write high fantasy, then I can probably count those as a single complaint. However if the same complaint comes from a computer tech fantasy guy and a stay at home mom non-writer, then I should pay close attention to the complaint and change something even if I like it the way it is.
Have a waiting period between receiving a critique and responding to it. This gives me time to resolve some of the emotional tumult caused by the critique. With emotions out of the way I can logically evaluate the suggestions.
Always thank the critics for the time they spent, whether or not I agree with the opinions or make any of the changes they suggest.
Not all critics are created equal. Some critics can make recommendations while building the self-esteem of the writer. Other critics can praise in such a way that the writer becomes discouraged. Shop around for good critics and cultivate them. An insightful critic is a gem, and should be treasured as such.
Before making the changes a critic suggests, I need to make a comparison between the critic and my intended audience. If I am writing for children and the critic complains that the work is too simplistic/childish, that may actually be good news.
Growth often hurts. If I hide my work away and do not expose it to critique, then I kill any chances for the work to grow and for myself to grow as a writer.
Copyright Sandra Tayler 2007
|
| |
