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Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
E.L Doctorow

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Handling Criticism

Dear Editor:

Please take a look at my enclosed manuscript. If you would be so kind as to reply with some harsh comments telling me why I’m not good enough and should never quit my day job, I would greatly appreciate it.

Sincerely,

A Writer

That’s probably not a cover letter you’ve written, but do you ever feel like you’ve sent that to an agent, editor, or even your critique group? It’s what you’ll get most of the time anyway. By putting you’re work out there for others to read, you’re asking for it.

So how do you handle critical comments? You’re going to get them, so get used to them. Turn them to your advantage.

Here are some ways to handle critiques:
1. Stick your head in an exhaust pipe and inhale vigorously
2. Burn all your manuscripts and reformat your hard drive
3. Get angry at the reviewer because she wouldn’t know great literature when it bites her in the eyes
4. Eat a tub of Cherry Garcia ice cream

Those are not healthy responses. I know. I’ve tried, or at least thought about, all of them. But with time and plenty of practice, I now enjoy reading critiques of my work, and use them to my advantage. I no longer want to stick my head in an exhaust pipe after reading a harsh review. I do still like the occasional bucket of ice cream, but that has nothing to do with criticism.

De-personalize
Do not take harsh crits personally. The reviewer is not critiquing you, your talent, or your worth as a member of the human race. It is your work that is being reviewed. Never forget that.

See the words, don’t hear the tone
Tone of voice does not come through easily on written comments. You might have spent hours, days, months getting the first page of your novel just perfect. The reviewer read it, hopefully thought about it at least five minutes, then banged out a critique. The reviewer probably did not spend hours to get the voice perfected. Imagine a kindly grandmother reading the crit to you in her sweetest voice.

Find the positive
I’ve had friends come to me with a tear-stained crit in trembling hands and say, “This is devastating.” I’d read it and think it’s positive. The reviewer pointed out how well the writer did character, or plot, and setting. The writer only saw one paragraph of criticism at the end of five paragraphs of praise.

Examine your motives
Why do you put your work in front of a writers group or editor? Is it so everyone will be stunned by the beauty of your prose, jealous of your talent, and carried away by your characters? If so, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

If, on the other hand, the reason you put your work out for crit is to learn, to improve your work, and to enhance your skills, you’re on the right track. Thank everyone who takes the time and effort to read and critique your writing.

Look for the solution to every criticism
When a crit says, “Your secondary characters are two-dimensional,” do you think, “So what? They’re secondary.” Or “I’m a talentless hack.” Or possibly, “My characters are complex; this idiot missed the subtext.”

Instead, try asking, “How and where can I add depth? They are three dimensional in my mind, but perhaps that didn’t come across in the story.” Ask the reviewer for specifics. A good critique will give you suggestions, but not all readers will know how to articulate it, they’ll just know it didn’t connect with them. Engage them in a conversation with questions, not defensiveness.

Pan for gold
Not every comment is valid. You will receive contradictory comments. One will love your opening sentence, say it hooked her immediately. The next reader will think it fell flat. Which to believe?

After reading the critique, step away. Resist the urge to completely ignore the comments, and resist the urge to immediately rewrite. Let it settle. Read it again later with a fresh mind. With time for the subconscious mind to sift it, you might spot something you can do to fix the problem, or you can see it’s not a change you want to make. This is especially true if you’re receiving several critiques from different people over a period of time. Wait until you’ve read all the crits, let your brain sort them out for a few days, then go through them to see which ones you agree with.

Then you can revise as needed. Once rewritten, you’ll have a stronger piece, and when you send it out for more reviews, or submit it to agents and editors, you’ll be fully prepared for rejection and criticism at the next level.

Just think how pleasantly surprised you’ll be when you’re offered a deal when you were expecting advice not to quit your day job.

This article was contributed by Robb Grindstaff. Robb works as an Editor in Washington D.C and has written two novels for which he is currently finding homes. To find out more about Robb you can visit his facebook profile http://www.facebook.com/pages/Robb-Grindstaff/52617250628