You’ve been DYING to hear back from that critique partner, editor, agent, friend. You stalk your inbox. When the document finally arrives, you break out into a sweat. What if they HATED everything? Then you think, naaah. That’s not possible. Your pages are so shiney you’ve gotta wear shades just to read them. So you open your manuscript with confidence only to find the page is bleeding, okay, GUSHING in ink. You gasp! How do you deal with the mountain of criticism?
Most of us fall into one of these three categories–
THE SELF-DEPRECATING SNIVELER
If you’re this writer, you implode when you receive feedback. You’re paralyzed for days, weeks even, because you’re nothing but a phoney anyway–the one who barely calls themselves a shhhhh, writer. You don’t have any talent and now the critique has just proved that. You have a meltdown.
THE PROACTIVE SUPERHERO
You ponder the comments for twenty-four seconds and then pull on your revision cape and x-ray grammar mask. You attack your manuscript with force, adapting everthing. The critiquer must be absolutely dead on, right? You thank your reader and tell them they’re the smartest person on the planet. Your savior!
THE ANGER-MONGERING INFIDEL
You’re insulted by the comments. WTF do they know about your research, your characters, your method of madness? Nothing! Not only that, but they don’t even have the experience you do. You tell that ingrate how massively intelligent you are, how stupid they are. You even consider degrading their reputation all over the internet so that others won’t be foolish enough to seek their help.
Who we should all strive to be is–
THE YODA
You read the feedback and calmly digest it. It flows over you, through you, and the important pieces stick to your subconscious. You digest it and take notes on how to fix the issues. Then you attack the draft with newfound wisdom and inspiration. You send thanks to your critiquer and offer something in return. GAME ON.
MORAL OF THE STORY
1. EMBRACE YOUR IDIOSYNCRACIES, but aim high! Work toward THE YODA. Ultimately it will make the writing and editing process more enjoyable.
2. GROW A THICK SKIN. It’s essential in this business. Period.
3. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. Don’t assume you’re inferior and that your critiquer knows everything. It’s your book,your characters, and your style after all. On the flip side, don’t disregard advice entirely just because you think someone doesn’t “get you”. There is ALWAYS something to learn. Always. Even if you’re Stephen King or J.K. Rowling or Phillipa Gregory. If nothing else, the feedback sheds light on how the manuscript affects readers.
4. TREAT CRITIQUERS WITH RESPECT. This is the golden rule. Someone has just spent hours of their time, paid or not, on your work. Their goal is to help the writer improve both the story and their skills–not make them feel lousy. Don’t lash out, even if the feedback you receive is harsh. Show gratitude for their effort and be professional. You never know who that writer/editor/agent knows. The last thing you want to do is damage your reputation, thus your ability to sell books, because you were a hot head one day. Publishing is a small world, after all.
If you liked this article, try:
TAKING THE OUCHIE OUT OF REJECTION
BREAKING OUT OF THE EDITING FUNK
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About Heather Webb
Heather’s historical novels have received national starred reviews, been featured in print media including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and have been chosen as a Goodreads Top Pick in 2015. To date, her books have sold in a dozen countries. She enjoys helping other writers and may often be found tweeting helpful links, writing craft articles, or speaking about the industry and her love of books at conferences and retreats. For more information, see her AUTHOR page.
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Great job, Heather, and spot on. I hate to admit I’m mostly the first type, but I have bouts of the other two. And striven toward Yoda, I have.
Thanks for the laughs and wise advice. Your padawan, I am.
Vaughn, I’d say it’s normal for us to jump around. 🙂 I began mostly as THE SUPERHERO and now I’m moving more toward THE YODA. (I hope!) I think experience helps with this for sure. Thanks for your comment!
When I’ve been going through edits from a crit partner for a while, I start turning into the anger-mongering infidel. That’s usually a sign for me to stop and take a break. Afterwards, when I get back to it, I’m much calmer.
That’s a good point, Patricia. I think it’s pretty common for us to overload ourselves. Breaks are a MUST for sanity!
Being Yoda is quite hard, I think, without the right mind-set first. The problem most authors have with criticism, in my experience, comes when they conflate what they have written with their own sense of self-worth. Criticism becomes a personal attack in consequence. The answer is to be abstract – to step back. Then it becomes possible to be Yoda.
So true, Matthew! Once we separate our self-worth from our work, I think it’s far easier to become the zen master. 🙂
I’m mostly the proactive superhero, with a tiny dash of Yoda. 🙂
Wise this post is, yes. Listen we should.
Write, or write not. There is no try.
Le sigh. I sooo want to be a Yoda. Am aspiring to yoda-hood, even as I type.
Ommmmmm…
Thatta girl, Erin. Visualize! 😉
Hmm, if it’s been a really rough critique, I spend a few minutes as the Sniveler, and then move into a bit of SuperHero, although I don’t take everything a crit suggests as gospel. But the more I write, and the more I critique and get critique, the closer to Yoda-hood I get. And now, off to write go I.
I’m working on my first critique, and working on being Yoda! I took about 24 hours to just let the comments sink in, and plan where I’m going with it. Now I’m working on trying out some of the suggestions to see if they work with my story.
Once you get over that initial shock, it’s quite inspiring to have help in making your story the best it can be.
Ha! I’ve been all of these and worked with all of these and The Yoda is certainly the best to deal with. I’d like to think that’s where I am now but I’ve been known to get snively from time to time. Great post! 😉
Jamie, I become a bit of a sniveler, myself, on occasion, but I only let myself wallow for 24 hours, then Yoda it is for me!
I think we’ve all been at each of these at some point. I know I have! But The Yoda approach is right, sit on it, digest it, meditate on it – then get going. And, as someone else has said, take breals as soon as the ‘anger’ sets in …
I usually have an instant of anger-mongering. More along the lines of “What?! They didn’t think it was perfect?!” This is followed by a moment or two of self-deprecation. “All the people who liked it were just being nice. I am so so far from being good.” Then SuperYoda arrives, I take a deep breath and start tackling the critique. In other words, the doubts and resistance are there, but I try to get past them.
You sound like a seasoned writer, Ellen. Good for you for keeping your cool! 🙂 I have definitely experienced flashes of all of them, but I tend to hover between the super hero and Yoda.
I tend to be the proactive superhero. But as I gain more experience as a professional writer, I’m learning to weigh the comments and consider my ultimate goals, including target audience.
Case in point:
This past week I received contest scores on my first chapter of a single title romance. This is the same first chapter I submitted over a year ago for a contemp romance series (before I added 15K to it). On the first contest, I received first place overall, and in this one I didn’t even place in the top 50%. Does my writing suck, then? No, it’s just being seen through a different lens. I agreed most with the judge who scored it between the other two judges. One judge was extremely harsh, but I soaked in the information and better appreciate how my heroine may appear to some readers. The judge who loved my chapter gave me that emotional boost, but her advice wasn’t very specific. The reading experience is so subjective, and I’m thankful I took the chance to send out my work again to get more insight before I do those final revisions and pitch next spring.
Great post!! Glad I found you via Twitter.
Great insight, Joylse. Feedback is very subjective—based on both the reader’s interest level in the subject AND their writing level. Many of those contests are judged by volunteers who may or may not even be on the same par as you, hence the uneven scoring and comments. I, too, was the super hero for awhile, but I’ve learned to cool my jets and digest before I dive into edits now. Thanks for your comment!