How to deal with criticism as a writer
If you’re a writer, then you’re going to have to deal with a certain amount of criticism. It’s a fact of life. Developing a thick skin is crucial, and just as important, knowing the types of criticism to take seriously and the types to let roll off your back and forget about. Criticism might be one of the toughest issues for writers to deal with, especially when starting out.
Why can criticism be so damaging? Because writing, no matter if it’s a short story or an article for your local newspaper, is extremely personal. You are putting a part of yourself out there, exposed to the public. I touched on this part of writing in an earlier post “Are you afraid of being a writer?”
So how do you deal with criticism as a writer?
Not all criticism is created equal
I learned very early on that people who criticize my writing do so for varying reasons. The most common criticism I deal with, luckily for me, is probably the most constructive. For example, when I write a short story and then have it read by someone else to check for grammatical errors, misspellings, typos and even for holes in the plot itself. I want this type of criticism because it’s better to know about any imperfections before your story is published.
Look at constructive criticism as an opportunity to improve your writing and take your work to the next level. The person offering you such advice is trying to help. And hopefully they will give you an honest assessment of your work without taking unneccecary jabs at you or your writing.
The second type of criticism is more personal and more hurtful. It’s when people make blanket statements that “Your writing stinks” and “You’ll never get published” and “Why don’t you just give up and do something else?” Here’s the secret about these types of statements: They mean nothing. And the person who makes them is usually trying to compensate for their own shortcomings by attacking you.
As a rule of thumb: The more general the criticism is, the more you should just let it roll off your back and move on. If someone is truly trying to help you, they should give you specific examples of where your writing needs work and suggestions of how to improve.
How to effectively deal with criticism in a positive way
Let’s pretend you just finished a short story that you worked really hard on. The story idea came to you in a moment of sheer inspired genius and you carefully crafted the story together – taking the time to get it right. Then, you have your trusted reader (the person you charge with proofreading and editing your writing) reads the story and right away points out a major hole in the plot.
Ouch! Yes, that can be painful, even if your trusted reader is only trying to help. So how do deal with this criticism? Here’s 3 steps I found are especially useful:
1. Don’t take it personally.
2. Ask questions about how the problem/s can be resolved and what would work better.
3. Learn from the experience.
Face it, even seasoned writers who make the bestseller lists are not perfect. In his memoir/writing guide On Writing
It might take you a while to be able to look at criticism of your writing objectively. Heck, it might always hurt a little, even when someone is offering you very useful advice. Those feelings are normal. As long as they don’t keep you from writing and sharing your writing with others, then you’re golden.
What are some ways you deal with criticism as a writer? Leave a comment below with your answers. I look forward to reading what you have to say.
P.S. Here’s a great post Writing Critique: Can You Handle It by Melissa Donovan over at Writing Forward. She offers some really good advice on this same topic.
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- Are you afraid of being a writer?
- Literary criticism being shaped by Google
- Is literary criticism still relevent?
- Real creativity is in the editing!
- Quality Vs. Quantity: A writer’s dilemma
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