Pet Peeve #35 - Weenies
Yeah, I said weenies. Because that’s what they are! Weenies, the lot of them.
Who am I talking about? The people who can’t take criticism.
I don’t care if your mom can bake the best apple pie in three counties and thinks your writing is about as perfect as the locally made maple syrup. I don’t care if Uncle Bob said he spent a whole extra hour on the toilet because he ‘just couldn’t put that book down’.
Well, I do care if they own a publishing company and have at least four years editing experience.
Otherwise, no.
Part of living in the writing sector of the world is developing a ‘tough skin’. The tough skin is not to deflect ‘the evil criticism bugs’ by any means; you develop it so you can take criticism and apply it instead of sobbing into your manuscript because you were so busy writing that you forgot to go out and buy some tissues.
Criticism shouldn’t be this thing some people are simply unable to handle or hear. Criticism is not only not about whether you are a worthy human being, it’s not something that will kill you.
Writers who can’t take criticism: The comments people (other than your mom and Uncle Bob) make about your work is that - about your work. If someone makes a comment you don’t like, either a. fix it, b. keep it fresh in your mind when you rewrite, or (very rarely) c. dismiss the comment for now. Option C is rarely used and only usually comes into play when someone (usually on a writing forum) says something to the effect of, “You’re an idiot. Never write again.”
Bottom line? People are talking about your work, not you. You didn’t know how to do proofs in geometry right away and neither do you know the power of ‘insta-novel’. Take criticism. Use criticism.
It could just help you get published.
September 5th, 2007 at 7:48 am
“ Use criticism.”
Absolutely right-on.
“if Uncle Bob said he spent a whole extra hour on the toilet because he ‘just couldn’t put that book down’”
~chortle chortle chortle~
September 6th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
Bernita - I’ve very glad you enjoyed.