How Do You EVER get Over A Bad Critique?

[Katherine]

I've been writing novels for a year, and have so far written four , all unpublished so far. I have redrafted the first draft of my novel five or six times, and also sent it around to some friends and family members who were willing to proof read it, with detailed instructions as to what was to be proof read, and not just a"can you read my novel please? " request.
I have also joined two Internet- based critique groups: Inked Voices and Scribophile, for which I critique work on a daily basis, and also regularly submit my own work for critique (although some of it really really gets looked up, especially in Inked Voices). I am starting to take it personally that people don't always look at my work and/critique it, when I always critique work that comes my way whether I really like the writing style or genre or not, and I am NEVER as harsh as some people have been with me.
I am constantly reading books, and not just those in my genres, which so far are urban fantasy for children, and young adult fiction, although I also want to write women's fiction in the very near future.
I have a couple of writing advice books: Write Good or Die edited by Scott Nicholson and No Novel No Problem by Chris Baty (the founder of NaNoWriMo.) I have also participated in, and won , NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNoWriMo twice each (2013 and 2014 for regular nano and April and July 2014 for Camp).
So far, the general consensus from people who have critiqued my work is "great characterisation/believability/grammar and spelling/plot ideas" , but that I " need to improve the readability and some plot areas to make it more compelling, and cut down on large descriptions. "
I'm concentrating so far on getting my first novel, the first in an urban fantasy trilogy which could be read by anyone, but that is primarily aimed at the 9 to 12 age group ready for publication.
I have been working on it for just over a year, and doing countless rereads and edits myself in addition to the ones other people have done for me. I don't have anyone directly involved in the writing/publishing industries in my family, so has been difficult for me to get very constructive feedback from them, although in general they are quite encouraging. An added problem I have is not having the money on hand to pay an editor, which is what a lot of people have advised me to do
. Back in April/May time this year, I started a campaign to raise money for editing and publishing my book, but I did not raise nearly as much as I needed to (in all, I only raised a couple of hundred pounds, and I learned early on that paid services can be expensive. )
People in both of the critique groups I am in are welcoming, but have also reacted differently to my work. I have had people on the one hand saying that they like my work, and others on the other hand saying that they don't, and getting very personal about it , for example, yesterday I had someone in Scribophile basically say that I don't know how to write a book, and I have to learn to write one. I do not know this person personally, and I responded letting her know that although the work I have posted for critique is from the first novel I ever wrote, she ought to cut me some slack because I have other novels, and have written others since. In fact, I have written four in just a year. She reacted by not exactly saying sorry, but congratulating me on the amount of books I have written in a short time. I don't know whether to take that as an apology or not.
I recognise that a draft is not going to be perfect the first time, and possibly not even the sixth time, but what people need to learn is to not get at people so personally. What they don't realise, is that every day I am working hours to pursue my dream and goal of being a published author, and that I am constantly thinking about, and working on, my book
Another person basically said " it's not that you can't write, you can, you are, but it needs to be better."
Outside of my high school exams, which I passed first time in English and well, (I got a B in English language and a B in English literature), I have also taken a short online course on creative writing run by udemy, and also taking a course on writing prompts run by a small creative writing school local to where I live.
I adore writing I am doing what I can to improve my writing skills with the budget I have available, which is not very much as I have physical disabilities and a high level of medical needs that need to be catered for, and time and time again I get physically upset by the critiques that I get at the moment this is not good for my health.
How can I improve my writing, and not let bad critiques get to me? I really want to grow as a writer and I want my writing to get better over time, because my ultimate goal is to publish my first book next year at the latest, because then I would been working on the same book for near enough two years.
Some people have said that the time I have been working on it now is not long enough, that they have been working on the same book for four years, but I really do not know how long a person should work on the same book for , and when, and how, to judge when it is ready for publication.
I realise that next year is really not far off now, but I really want to improve significantly between now and then in my writing so that I have a better chance of publishing, although it would be great if I could publish before the end of this year, but I'm not sure whether that would be feasible or possible.
At the moment, people are doubting the publishability of my work.

The people who like my work seem to think that it is nearly ready for publishing, and will be at least with some changes. I like to think that too , and I do, but I am really concerned about publishing something that is possibly going to get bad critiques from the outset if it is not more formatted . This is something people in both critique groups I am in have warned me about. Are they right to warn me about this? Is it true that something like that could happen? How likely is it? Would I be wiser to improve my writing before publishing it or just take the plunge and publish? Or could it be possible that they are just saying things like that of jealousy, or that they want me to fail as an author? I seem to think that some people are
I've asked these types of questions already in the critique groups, and I've got a variety of answers, so I thought I would ask in here to see if ask you to see if anyone's got any more useful insight and advice for me.
Deep down, I know I've got the possibility and potential to be a great author, but so far, unfortunately the guidance I have got is not really helping me go in the direction that I would want to go, and that is towards publication. I am not even sure if people who criticise my work and my ability as an author criticise it because they know that I have disabilities and they think that because of that might work will not be very good, even though I am a very hard worker, and intelligent, or whether they are criticising it because they want me to be a better author and be successful. To be honest, it's really hard to know. I need advice on this and everything I have said in this post.

I'd be really grateful if you could also suggest some writing advice books and websites I might find useful to help me on my journey as an author. I've been told by many people who value me and my work that I am on the right track, and that I am doing the right things. This leads me to ask: So why am I not getting better critiques? Does a critique really reflect the writers ability, and give potential readers an indication of this so that they are more likely to readand/or buy a book? I've always wondered about this, because I rate a lot of the books that I read.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

You have to remember, particularly with Internet critics, that some people simply have issues and it's easy to be hostile when a) there's a screen between you and the person you're criticising (particularly if the website uses screen names instead of real names) and b) a lot of the harshest critics have never written anything that's been published, either. Most drama critics have never acted in a play, let alone written one. Film critics don't make movies. Kibitzing after the fact is a lot easier when you've never sweat through the actual labour of creativity.

There are "writer's handbooks" that will help you find out what you need to know about formatting your work before sending it to a publisher. They are available online or through bookstores. Specify that you want one for fiction writing.

I also suggest you find a literary agent; most publishers, like most producers/directors of film, work with agencies more than accepting unsolicited manuscripts from a person they have never heard of. Yes, there are fees involved, but it's like selling a house: it's usually much easier and quicker through a realtor than trying to just do it yourself.

[Daniel]

Believe in yourself. Success is a matter of luck after that.

[Zara-jo]

Katherine wrote: "I've been writing novels for a year, and have so far written four , all unpublished so far. I have redrafted the first draft of my novel five or six times, and also sent it around to some friends a..."

Katherine. Stop fussing. Choose the draft YOU like best and self-publish. I love reading books by new authors on Kindle, and I have author friends on Goodreads I'm pretty sure would do review swops, and tell you more than I know about publicity.

[Kath]

Do remember that not all authors feel it's quite the thing to do review swaps. You can't be totally unbiased.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

I direct your attention to this article, here in the Author Tidbits section of our board:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Cynthia]

I once received a bad review for a short story I wrote...by someone who didn't even read it. She said that she didn't read the story after seeing the character's royal title.

Of course I was upset, but I learned a lot from that one review. Every reader is different and some people will shut you down before you even get started. But if you write because you love it, and tell the stories you want to tell, then you will do just fine.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

That's true, Cynthia. We have to write for ourselves first and foremost. I have written many things, some conferences given in public, that got little reaction. I'll never forget speaking for 45 min on a topic I felt passionate about (by request); a friend was in the audience and about 5 min after I'd finished I asked him, "So, how did it go?" He immediately self-referenced and assumed that I was asking him about something in his personal life, not the talk he'd just listened to.

But I said what I had to say, and know I said it well.

[Groovy]

Hi, Katherine

First of all, you can't let criticism, however harsh, affect your health. Criticism comes with the territory and you just have to develop a thick skin. You have to or you won't make it; Get ready because more is coming as long as you write. But some can really help. I've learned a lot from the critical reviews I've received. If they're helpful, like I use the wrong tense, or there are errors in grammar, I listen with a grateful thank you. If they're spiteful, (I've only received one so far--she didn't like one word in my title and said it merit one star) I realize it for what it is and just let the readers see it for what it is--spiteful.

When I began writing, I thought all I had to do was put my imagination down on paper, and they would love it! Katherine, I could wallpaper two houses with the rejection letters I received from Harlequins and the entire book of fiction agents. Was I devastated? Ah--yeah. But I realized that what I created in my mind, wasn't the same as getting it through on paper. You have to practice, practice, practice; Read and study the art so that what clever ideas are in your imagination will come out that way on paper.

One advice I received was, when you proofread your manuscript and you aren't moved to correct a scene or dialogue, then it's ready.

Here are two books that really helped me to improve my writing. They're by Noah Lukeman, a brilliant agent whose client list is composed only of bestselling authors. (I would love for him to represent me, but I like doing it on my own thanks to Kindle)

The Plot Thickens: 8 ways to bring fiction to life.



A Dash of Style: The art and mastery of punctuation.



When I studied these books, especially "A Dash of Style", my work came to life, and as the introduction says: it will transform your work from silence to a symphony. (I don't remember the exact words)

I hope this helps; I know how you feel. And by the way, my first suspense novel appeared on a local t.v. show with a "highly recommended". And it's starting to pick up on Amazon.

All the best to you :)

[L.F.]

Katherine, you've been getting some great advice here and I can certainly feel your pain. Just remember that no matter what, or how well written your work may be, you'll never please everyone. All criticism is not created equal--some has real merit, other is simply bias. THAT is what you must learn to recognize and sift through. Then you can discover where any weaknesses are which is the first step you must take to repair it. If your writing needs to be tightened up, practice writing short stories of less than 1500 words. Read what you've written aloud--often that will help you discover awkward passages. Read and study the style and methods of your favorite authors. Whatever you do---DON'T GIVE UP :)

[Library Lady 📚]

While I understand your pain, I do think that only writing for a year is, well, not very long. I thought my first book was amazing for several years, but when I read it now, I cringe. I'm glad I never published it. My advice is to keep writing. Read books about writing. You will get better.

And while "you need to write better" is not helpful advice for a critique to give, you could ask for specifics. I beta read for authors, and sometimes, yes, they need to 'write better.' If you respond defensively, they will probably not help you. Maybe they were having a bad day. Maybe they were rushed. If you show you are willing to work to correct things that need work, they might slow down and give you some really great advice!

-->one of my favorites

The Plot Thickens, mentioned above, is also great.

It also sounds like you got some good advice. Go back and cut some of your descriptions. For plot issues: Do you have a central conflict/can you say in one sentence what your book is about?
Does your MC have a goal? Does she/he pursue it throughout or meander to other goals?
Can you write a compelling query letter? Even if you are not seeking an agent, a query letter and back cover copy are basically the same. There are tons of online resources telling you how to write one. They are hard. But if you can write one, you probably have a plot. There are many critique groups on Goodreads and other sites where you can post a query for critique and get good advice.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

There's an old writer's dictum: always kill your babies. That means, be prepared to cut that description, or dialogue, or subplot, that you think is a shining jewel.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

Here's another thread the OP might find useful:
ttps://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2122399-...

[Clodagh]

Katherine, the advice above is very sound. It may, or may not, help for me to tell you that I have been writing for years. I only felt I was beginning to get the hang of it when I did and MA in writing where a condition of being awarded the MA was to write a publishable novel. I did so and as a result got an agent. It didn't easily fit a genre so publishers were not prepared to take a risk.

It is ten years since I finished that book. I published it a couple of weeks ago on Kindle. I am very proud of it and have had some great comments. However, not everyone will like it. You just have to keep going, learn what you can from the constructive criticism and ignore the rest.

I wrote a blog post recently with some suggestions about useful reading matter for writers. It's on my Author Profile, but here's the link to save you the bother of hunting for it - http://clodaghphelan.com/on-writing/c...

Hope that helps and good luck. Just don't give up but keep writing and practicing.

[Groovy]