Recently, I got this AMAZING comment on my main WIP. It was probably one of the best I've ever had.
But, get this, the comment didn't say, "I LOVE YOUR STORY SO MUCH IT'S PERFECT!!!" (this is not to say that I don't like these comments).
This comment was telling me how I had rushed things here, and not fleshed out a character there. It was amazing.
I had been wondering the same things also, and this really helped to confirm my suspicions.
I replied by thanking the person and telling her how much I appreciated her comment. I also said that these were things that I was planning to fix in the following drafts.
But, unfortunately, that's not how all writers react to comments like this. Here are two ways you can respond to criticism.
This is the author that cannot stand criticism. You point out a typo and they grudgingly acknowledge it. They think that they're right all the time. It's their story, so they know what's best.
If they had received a comment like mine, they would have exploded with something alongs the lines of this:
"I'm sorry Miss Perfect! I didn't know that you were writing this story! IMHO, you're just jealous that I'm writing such an AMAZING story."
And then they would address each thing that the other person said, explaining how it was perfect.
I'm pretty sure we've all met a writer like this. This person isn't going to write an amazing story. Sometimes, it takes other people to see the flaws in our story.
This writer appreciates the criticism he gets. He sees that the commentator is right, and thanks the person. He makes notes to improve his following draft. I think I explained this author somewhat in the beginning.
What are some ways you approach criticism? Are these the ways you react? Talk to us!
