The Sting of Criticism

As writers, we all have a strong connection with what we write. Anything we create comes with bits and pieces of us. Every word, every sentence, taking the reader on a journey we conceived by crafting a story, is humbling and rewarding. It's impossible to separate the author from the work and vice versa. That's not a bad thing. It's quite the opposite.

Think about it.

As an author, if you aren't emotionally invested in the story as you're writing it, how can you expect the reader to be? It's as simple as that. And, because so much of ourselves is in our work, criticism can sting. A lot.

The Sting of Criticism

After all, we've taken this idea and built it into a story by pruning, editing, and polishing it until we've felt brave enough to unleash it upon the world. The reason for setting it free upon the readers of the world doesn't matter. Maybe we enjoy writing for our self-satisfaction. Perhaps we're hoping for a publishing credit. It doesn't matter. In the end, it's all the same.

Let Someone Else In

When we let someone else into our world, the one we've created from thin air, the one we breathed life into, it can be a little scary. Their opinion can shake our confidence and wake up the self-doubt lurking in every author's mind.

And that's where a lot of writers struggle.

About ten years ago, I started to focus on my writing. I had soured on the publishing industry, and why not? I had a best-selling novel through Northwest Publishing twenty years prior. I was on the bestseller lists with Stephen King's The Green Mile and Danielle Steele's Lightning. I thought I'd made it. The owners of Northwest had embezzled millions and stolen from hundreds of authors. Involved in a class-action lawsuit, I'd had enough.

I didn't write for close to fifteen years. It was too painful. But the itch came back. The idea factory wouldn't let me sleep. And while I was recovering from the first of multiple neck surgeries, I cracked the laptop open and started again.

I began putting myself out there. I started submitting short stories to magazines and novels to publishers and literary agents alike. The treadmill of submissions, as any author can tell you, can be a daunting one. A proven track record doesn't always mean a lot in this business.

The Sting of Criticism

I received a particularly harsh rejection letter for a short story entitled 'Slippage'. It suggested I pick up a book on style and take a class on form and substance, and that I should take the story out of my rotation of pieces to submit.

I took it hard. I loved the story, a first-person tale set in the late 19th century about an obscure artist and the things he could create with his hands. There wasn't anything constructive in the rejection at all, nothing I could build on. What was I supposed to take from that? Self-doubt started to snowball as more rejections for other stories began to roll in. The sting of criticism really took its toll.

It would've been easy to drown in self-doubt. I went over the rejections and realized these were just opinions. Everybody has one. And while I took the criticism they contained personally, I didn't let it stop me. Some were positive and others were negative. It's important to realize who is giving the criticism. If it's someone who doesn't tend to like the genre you're writing in, they might not be able to relate well to your story as well as someone who loves it. If it's a family member, they might tell you everything you've ever written is genius. Most likely, you're not a genius. They are just trying to be supportive.

Everyone Has An Opinion

I learned to take every opinion with a grain of salt. As a writer, you have to realize it's impossible to write something everyone will love. You can create something some people will love, but that's not the most important thing to keep in mind. You have to write something you love because when you do, it shines through the work.

In the end, the most important critic is in you. You have to have faith in what you write and confidence in your ability to tell a good story. Don't let the negative reviews or criticism distract you from putting words on paper. Stay the course and keep writing. You'll improve with every story, every paragraph, and every word you write.

Never give up.

Always remember, write ON!