tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post3674708573597577266..comments2024-03-29T02:21:51.087-07:00Comments on Writing on the Wall: Taking CritiqueRachel Schieffelbeinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01629400142880123520noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-46965163762972867412012-04-16T09:46:47.832-07:002012-04-16T09:46:47.832-07:00I disliked "Eat, Pray, Love" too. It was...I disliked "Eat, Pray, Love" too. It was awful.<br /><br />You have the right attitude about critiques! I love 'em and hate 'em. They're a must for a writer.Emily R. Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03892444969625637064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-38764068368733663872012-04-12T15:29:37.717-07:002012-04-12T15:29:37.717-07:00This is an awesome story...I have a feeling your s...This is an awesome story...I have a feeling your students adore you!!!https://booksthoughtsadventures.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12270725992084535102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-85919866890075747342012-04-09T04:12:55.530-07:002012-04-09T04:12:55.530-07:00I think this is a very valid point and one for all...I think this is a very valid point and one for all of us to remember. What we love in writing (and comedians) is completely subjective. Yes there are always things we can improve on, but not everyone will like our work and that doesn't mean it's no good. Thank you for the great reminder.Rebecca Bradleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10194524230109997420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-80132923996911248152012-04-07T13:18:32.524-07:002012-04-07T13:18:32.524-07:00Great advice. It's a good reason to have more ...Great advice. It's a good reason to have more than one person critique your work.Susan Gourley/Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02669793865290876168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-86973379674927044582012-04-07T02:21:29.502-07:002012-04-07T02:21:29.502-07:00WHat you say is so important for us to remember. W...WHat you say is so important for us to remember. We really have to learn to sift thru the feedback and take only what we need. ANd we certainly can't please everyone. I think a big part of writing is learning who our readers are gonna be... sometimes, they're who we least expect, but we have to cherish them.PK HREZOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11650153097981426833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-82324379103623648822012-04-06T15:37:38.114-07:002012-04-06T15:37:38.114-07:00Very sound advice, especially in the second paragr...Very sound advice, especially in the second paragraph about our power to decide what to listen to and incorporate.Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10680066584646789184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-80147882193996795982012-04-06T14:42:37.125-07:002012-04-06T14:42:37.125-07:00Great point about deciding which parts of a critiq...Great point about deciding which parts of a critique will help you reach what you're trying to achieve. We can't all love everything, right? And congrats to you and your students!!Hope Robersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16877380868985454894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-90493469906755120982012-04-06T14:07:25.237-07:002012-04-06T14:07:25.237-07:00Great Post :)
You've got to stay true to your...Great Post :)<br /><br />You've got to stay true to yourself - it's important to take advice, but not to always follow it to the letter.<br /><br />Congrats, btw!Amy (Limey YA Lit Girl)https://www.blogger.com/profile/01638503035429516747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-37920383804749145992012-04-06T13:40:05.100-07:002012-04-06T13:40:05.100-07:00Criticism can often be helpful but it's up to ...Criticism can often be helpful but it's up to us to decide what advice to take and how to act on it.Patsyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12263765378083045973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-55047721170839182132012-04-05T01:03:23.074-07:002012-04-05T01:03:23.074-07:00Hey,
Good on you for seeing past the negative and...Hey,<br /><br />Good on you for seeing past the negative and focusing on the positive... that's what I'm talking about :)Mark Koopmanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03634424953074803816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-574871291488192152012-04-04T19:43:40.772-07:002012-04-04T19:43:40.772-07:00This is awesome. I'm glad you told her to igno...This is awesome. I'm glad you told her to ignore it. I love the lessons we can learn from your students. It makes things easier to understand because I completely agree that she should ignore it. Keep up the awesome sharing. Your students are lucky to have you. :)Leigh Covingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16377634002477171615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-38048753262779730922012-04-04T19:10:44.111-07:002012-04-04T19:10:44.111-07:00Whenever a newish writer asks me for advice (not t...Whenever a newish writer asks me for advice (not that it happens all that often; I'm not exactly a wise old sage), one of the first things I tell them is that one of the most important tools for a writer's toolbox is a set of thick skin! <br /><br />So much of what we do involves exposing ourselves for the potentially harsh judgment of others, often strangers. Even after the critiquing stage, you're submitting to editors and agents blindly, crossing your fingers that they "get" you. On my blog, I once compared it to carefully undressing in your living room and then yanking the shades open. That's what it feels like sometimes!<br /><br />But when you learn how to brush things off your shoulders (and which ones), you can grow so much as a writer by listening to feedback. Great post!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.authoralden.com" rel="nofollow">J.W.</a>AuthorAldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06905712756325750291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-45237193166244577202012-04-04T16:18:57.673-07:002012-04-04T16:18:57.673-07:00I do agree with you. And I do appreciate anyone wh...I do agree with you. And I do appreciate anyone who is willing to take the time to read my stuff and give their opinion. More often than not there is plenty of great advice, and there was some with this one as well. But overall, she just didn't like my style and I needed to remind myself that that's okay.Rachel Schieffelbeinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01629400142880123520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-2258031118073334622012-04-04T16:12:56.912-07:002012-04-04T16:12:56.912-07:00I haven't seen the movie, but we read it for o...I haven't seen the movie, but we read it for our bookclub and none of us liked it! Which is funny, seeing as we were certainly the minority.Rachel Schieffelbeinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01629400142880123520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-28347251946728846022012-04-04T16:10:29.509-07:002012-04-04T16:10:29.509-07:00Thank you!
And yes, it is definitely easier said t...Thank you!<br />And yes, it is definitely easier said than done. :)Rachel Schieffelbeinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01629400142880123520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-53261911474222595232012-04-04T16:08:44.814-07:002012-04-04T16:08:44.814-07:00Thank you! I'm very excited for them.
I had fo...Thank you! I'm very excited for them.<br />I had forgotten about that in Little Women. :)Rachel Schieffelbeinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01629400142880123520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-29687164219662594092012-04-04T15:06:39.074-07:002012-04-04T15:06:39.074-07:00Thanks for the reminder. Personally, I would much ...Thanks for the reminder. Personally, I would much rather have honest criticism even if it is bad, than have sunshine blown at me. Sooner or later we have to face the truth about ourselves and our work. Better from someone we like and trust who can put us right, rather than a million rejection letter which come with no guidelines on how to improve.<br />Gwynneth<br />http://todayinshenaya.blogspot.comAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13447159464531608235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-19843178256574009582012-04-04T10:43:42.347-07:002012-04-04T10:43:42.347-07:00I haven't had to deal with any tough/harsh cri...I haven't had to deal with any tough/harsh criticism yet with my writing. If I do, hopefully I'll be able to not take it personally. And know that with ten people, you may have ten different opinions.<br /><br />I haven't read/or seen Eat, Pray, Love. I've heard so much about it and it was built up so hugely, I'm a little leary, expecting a big disappointment. And that's kept me from reading it.Suzihttp://literaryengineer.areavoices.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-86989024641485485112012-04-04T10:42:53.415-07:002012-04-04T10:42:53.415-07:00All the arts suffer with opinion rather than fact....All the arts suffer with opinion rather than fact. It's easy to critique someone's calculations to get ten monkeys to the moon in a go-cart, because there's an actual answer. Luckily, we all like different things, so where someone dislikes your work, others will like it, and others still will love it!Annalisa Crawfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14943610814274794998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-44093817534157927572012-04-04T10:32:59.428-07:002012-04-04T10:32:59.428-07:00When there are many opinions, throw out those at e...When there are many opinions, throw out those at either end and what's left is usually the truth.<br />And that person that hated your work - well, what you wrote wasn't for her. I had to realize that with my books. Sometimes someone would pick it up when it really wasn't his style of read, which means big surprise when he didn't like it. It's all right because he isn't my target audience!Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-60095387989209731142012-04-04T10:30:36.022-07:002012-04-04T10:30:36.022-07:00Great advice, Rachel! I have to remember this. I...Great advice, Rachel! I have to remember this. If you go tailoring your writing to everyone's opinions it will end up a big ole' mess. You have to stay true to yourself and what you think is right for your. :DVictoria Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14983121458179944639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-52677084397740397622012-04-04T09:31:25.376-07:002012-04-04T09:31:25.376-07:00Criticism is hard to take, but you are right that ...Criticism is hard to take, but you are right that one person's opinion should not bring you down. It sucks that one of your talented girls got such a harsh critique, and that someone didn't like your MS. I'm glad you took something positive from it all, and congrats to your students! :DKyra Lennonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13853462182450429660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-42832943552410904472012-04-04T08:49:46.494-07:002012-04-04T08:49:46.494-07:00I agree with Angela. Criticism is subjective, and ...I agree with Angela. Criticism is subjective, and you do a great job to mention that you really didn't like Eat, Pray, Love. I think people get lost in herd mentality sometimes and forget that one person could have just been having an off day, or he (the judge) could just not be into her style of humor. Kudos for telling her to ignore it.Renahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02767762370997304308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-76069838521742625242012-04-04T08:24:18.112-07:002012-04-04T08:24:18.112-07:00I think it's healthy to remember that criticis...I think it's healthy to remember that criticism is subjective. Bad critiques can ruin a perfectly great story :)Angela Cothranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09243582290698922119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878172058685455293.post-4490853221363850362012-04-04T07:57:04.006-07:002012-04-04T07:57:04.006-07:00Excellent post. This is advice I can give to some...Excellent post. This is advice I can give to someone else easier than I can take myself. I used to take every line of critique as gospel, but I'm learning that's not the way. I think it's important to have your core crits and betas who are honest but who are like-minded. Then again, it's good to have someone who would do things very differently to challenge you. It's a fine line and hard to walk, but this advice really helps. Thanks!<br /><br />Congrats to your students! That's awesome!Daisy Carterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17735098333414333404noreply@blogger.com