Over the weekend I assisted a friend in a critique session for writers at Oregon Christian Writers one day conference in Eugene, Oregon. The session was only an hour long, so the critiques were brief and based upon snippets of larger works. Although there was some very effective prose, the participants were mainly there to find out how to fix their mistakes.
One participant in particular kept arguing with my friend’s observations. “Take it or leave it,” my friend advised. The writer’s pained expression and defensive posture told me she was taking the feedback very personally. How do you field a less-than-glowing critique?
Writing Tip for Today: Most writers receive disappointing critiques at one time or another. The best way I know how to avoid becoming discouraged is to remind myself that reading my material before a group is not a performance. As the author, you may feel as if you are on a stage reciting, hoping to receive a standing ovation or at least the assurance that your work is sheer genius. I know I started out going to my weekly group planning to wow the “audience” with my stellar prose. Then I learned that the function of a group is to help you hone your skills, not to judge you as if you were a candidate on American Idol. If you get “shredded” by your crit partners, remember that you’re building up to those 10,000 hours of practice that will help you become a masterful writer. Resolve to take the critique that will help you and leave the rest.