Karen GoatKeeper's Blog - Posts Tagged "using-critiques"
Surviving Critique Time
Isaac Asimov used to have several books in the works at the same time. Of course, he was a genius. Still, it is comforting to know working on more than one book at a time is fine.
"The Carduan Chronicles" are my main writing project. However, it came to my attention that 2018 is a special anniversary: I moved to this spot in the Ozarks 25 years ago this May.
There will be a book of photographs of the place coming out later this year. It will have several essays mixed in. Most of these are written. One became my submission to my writer's group for the critique session.
Critiques of a piece of writing are about the writing, not the writer. My group is very good about this. So, why does it seem so personal?
It's personal because the writing is personal. These essays especially are personal. They are part of me.
Were the comments useful? Yes. Am I now doing a lot of rewriting? Yes. Am I glad I let a few feathers get ruffled? Yes.
Surviving critique time takes remembering, no matter how personal the writing may be, the comments aren't aimed at you. They are aimed at making your writing better. Even if you don't make all the changes suggested, each is an opportunity for you to take a closer look at why you wrote the piece the way you did. It lets you see your writing through the eyes of readers.
My essays will be better for it.
"The Carduan Chronicles" are my main writing project. However, it came to my attention that 2018 is a special anniversary: I moved to this spot in the Ozarks 25 years ago this May.
There will be a book of photographs of the place coming out later this year. It will have several essays mixed in. Most of these are written. One became my submission to my writer's group for the critique session.
Critiques of a piece of writing are about the writing, not the writer. My group is very good about this. So, why does it seem so personal?
It's personal because the writing is personal. These essays especially are personal. They are part of me.
Were the comments useful? Yes. Am I now doing a lot of rewriting? Yes. Am I glad I let a few feathers get ruffled? Yes.
Surviving critique time takes remembering, no matter how personal the writing may be, the comments aren't aimed at you. They are aimed at making your writing better. Even if you don't make all the changes suggested, each is an opportunity for you to take a closer look at why you wrote the piece the way you did. It lets you see your writing through the eyes of readers.
My essays will be better for it.
