First off, you must, must, must make sure you are in the proper mood for receiving criticism, negative OR positive. If you are floating on a cloud of glee, thinking that your piece is fantabulous and everyone in the world would love it...that is not the best time to read other people's opinions of your work. You need to be receptive to constructive criticism in order to get the most out of comments.
*Note: If you are on a time constraint, or you tend to float on your cloud of glee for extended lengths of time, perhaps you cannot afford the luxury of waiting. For this, I do apologize, but I have no better advice at this time.
Once you are in the appropriate state of mind, take each critique one at a time. Typically, a bunch of people tend to love your work for the exact reasons others don't like it at all. You can't please everyone, so remember the most important thing about writing: for whom you are writing. Whether you are writing for yourself or for an individual, or even if you are writing for a specific audience, consider how the person/people will enjoy your work, and edit according to that alone.
Also, keep in mind that not everyone will like your style of writing. Goodness knows there are authors out there where I would sooner stick a hot poker down my throat than read their work. But a couple people must like these authors, because they did get published, after all...and to my horror, are being taught in school curriculum. Yet, like I said--some people love a story for the same reasons others hate it. What can you do?
So, in conclusion, take criticism with a grain of salt. Even if you receive a criticism that is purely negative, try first to take anything remotely constructive from it, a side comment that could potentially better your piece. But don't take negativity too seriously. Like I said, think back to those horrible, published stories you were forced to read during school (because I doubt everyone enjoyed every single story they were ever told to read). What would you say to one of the authors if you could critique their work?
If you can see a new angle of your work from a negative critique, great. If not, well, your critique-r can save his or herself some agony and find something else to read.
Cristina
it's so funny Cristina, purple ink excluded, i can tell your voice in your blogs.you have a confidence and some pretty strong ideas that come distinctly through. i hope everyone reads this.
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hillarous spelled wrong meaning on the floor laughing way to put it. The how to on how to take critique. As for the cloudy glee thing I have only met one writer who lived in writer la la land and she was wacked and she wrote and wrote and wrote and showed up and read and read and read. Real writers, good writers, have a realistic amount of fear and acceptance that shit does not smell like roses and we all have to poop some time. I am thrilled to death you are in my group. You are one of a kind for sure. As for me I am a self described masochist. I panic everytime I write and shake on the inside when I read and I derive an sick pleasure out of it.
ReplyDeleteBeing in the proper mood...Check
ReplyDeleteNote of apology for not the correct amount of allotted time...*grumbles* Check
Grain of salt...Check
Fuck em if they don't like it and you don't happen to agree with their reasoning...Check
love the blog. I found it very agreeable to my present state of mind. lol
ha. nice job. I like that at the end you do allow the possibility for something to be learned from negative criticism. There is bad feedback, and then there is constructive feedback, and both might sound negative. You are right, though, it is so much easier to listen to criticism when you set aside the time to be listening. and, definitely, remember for whom you are writing, remember the story you are writing.
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