sumayyah asked Jennifer A. Nielsen:

I have a question for new authors. When/if you write a book that isn't very successful or people don't seem to like it very much, how do you respond? Do you try to change your writing style, character attitudes etc.? Or do you just keep writing as you wish, being as stubborn as your characters (This is a good thing :D) Gerta and Ani? (Btw love Ani) I needed to ask this because I am writing a book.

Jennifer A. Nielsen Hi Sumayyah - Writing is art, so you'll never get unanimous approval or criticism. And so to a certain extent, you have to accept that some people will hate what others love and vice-versa.

Now...if someone whose opinion you trust gives a critique, or if you hear the same comment from a lot of people, then you need to use that feedback to get better as a writer. Stubbornness is great in characters, but it can kill talent in a writer.

Because every writer can always get better, so learning to take criticism is good. Criticism is never an attack on you as a person - only on that one bit of writing. So as you let others see your work, ask them for honest critiques. You don't have to change something just because someone tells you something, but if you're hearing a lot of similar comments, then pay attention and use it to improve.

Most importantly - never give up! Keep going, keep improving, and finish your story!

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