When to Listen

Writers go through so many phases while learning to write. We usually start out full of excitement. We have a great story idea and writing it is an escape! An adventure! The story spilling into our heads from our creative Kool-aid pitcher is so good and we cannot wait to share it with the world. The problem is at this point many of us have not learned the craft of writing, and what we put down on paper does not accurately convey what we're seeing in our heads.

When I first started writing to get published I had many kind family members tell me my work was good when it was awful. This did keep me writing, and eventually I completed my first draft. Lucky for me they loved me enough to tell me it needed work when I started getting serious about publishing. Most writers look back on their first work and cringe because it really needed help. But without that first draft we would never have our final draft.

It is when you can get from "I am writing the next best seller!" to "Wow, I hope this is getting good enough to grab an agent's attention." that you are getting closer to succeeding. Reading and writing constantly are your best tools for improving. But you also need to know how to hear criticism. If you are lucky enough to have a friend or family member who will tell you if you're grabbing and holding their attention, listen to them! It doesn't matter if they edit manuscripts for a living or if they scrub floors. Do they like to read? If so, they are qualified to critique your MS. Either it entertains them or it doesn't.

This is an excellent bit of advice from the folks at NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Have a read and toughen your skin. Either you want to be successful at telling a story or you don't. If you really do, you will listen to those who can help you fix what needs to be fixed.

http://blog.nanowrimo.org/post/73214585258/when-to-listen-to-your-readers-and-when-to-ignore