Can You Take The Heat? How To Handle Criticism

[Tessar]

I’ve noticed a big problem on many forums, and on review pages for places like fanfiction.net. There have been a few cases of this here already, so I would just like to help out if I can because I’ve had the problem myself and I would love to see Entmoot’s writing forum become a happy, helpful place.

People have trouble accepting criticism.

When it is given to them they become touchy and will act immaturely, drawing more insults and criticism. Only this time it will be an attack on them personally and not on the writing.

As authors most of us are writing to please ourselves, but we also seek praise from other writers. However humble we may try to act, all of us are attached to our works in one way or another. Writing a story is like having a baby, because you go through all the trouble of bringing it up, and you don’t always know if it will turn out all right, but it’s yours and you love it no matter how horrible it seems. Like that sappy love poem you just can’t take off your computer.

How should you react to criticism? Even harsh and unasked for criticism that attempts to sting you as a person and not just your work?

With a light heart!

When you put up a story or poem, ask yourself before you click the ‘post’ button “Am I willing to accept criticism on this piece while taking it all calmly and in a thoughtful way?” If the answer is “No!” then don’t post it. You are only setting yourself up for an online drama that can seep into your real life and make you mentally unhappy for an entire day, if not week. More importantly it can make you physically sick if you let Internet stress follow you even when you’re offline.

If you cannot accept all kinds of criticism then you are not ready to put your writing on the net. The people who hate it are five or six times more likely to post than the people who love it are. It’s just a fact of life.

A good way to look at it is “Take all advice to mind. If you find it to be solid advice, take it to heart. If not, keep it in mind, and if you later find it to be useful, take it to heart then.”

Also ask yourself this: “Why am I posting this story or poem?”

Do you want criticism because you are trying to be a better writer? Do you find it so funny or good that you just have to share it? Are you trying to show how much your writing has improved?

Or, do you want people to hate it so that you can lash out when they criticize it?

Ask yourself honestly, because especially in the last case it can lead to problems outside your writing if you don’t nail it down and deal with it. Have you had a horrible week because of a boss, and so you want to safely lash out? Or are you really posting the story for the entertainment of others?

A special note to my fellow writers is to keep this in mind. If you’re writing fan fics, you are twice as likely to draw flames and criticism because you are taking what one obviously talented writer has written and trying to add on to it, or just down right change it. The people who read your writing will be the ones who read and liked the original work, and so that will make them biased towards your work.

If you write fan fics be ready for every attack and criticism, because it will come.

If you’ve had enough, then stop reading here. I’ve given all the advice for taking criticism that I can give, but it you want some tips for avoiding it in the first place, read on!