5 Tips for Taking the Critique Bullet

Photo by Ryan Johns on Unsplash

Last week in The Cocky Crash, I shared some of the feelings I had when I received a critique that hurt my pride. Today, I’m going to give you some tips about how to deal with those same feelings when you get the painful critiques.

1.      Ask for critiques. You can’t have a painful critique without any feedback at all. Ask for people who will give you their 100% honest opinion on your work.

2.      Be willing to learn. Remind yourself that honest feedback only makes you a better writer. You can be teachable, or you can ignore the critiques and take that much longer to improve in your work. I received some straightforward, blunt critiques on the 2^nd draft of my first novel. They hurt a bit, but because of them, my 3^rd draft was superior to the previous one, and my second novel’s rough draft benefited from what I learned in those critiques.

3.      Condition your mind with the truth. My writing group continually reminds each other, the author is not the one being critiqued. The prose is. Be willing to laugh at when you wrote something dumb and be eager to listen and revise.

4.      Wait to edit. For the comments that really hurt, wait a couple of days to edit it. I did this concerning the poem in last week’s post. I knew in my head that the critique would help my poem improve, but I felt too discouraged to take a hard look at it and put in the effort needed to change it. After a few days, I could honestly agree with the critic and had the mental energy to edit.

5.      Thank the critic. One of my more experienced author-friends gave this advice in one of her blog posts, and I’m going to steal it for mine too. Remember that the critic took the time to read your work and give you honest comments; sometimes it’s hard to be honest, but they’re doing it for you anyway. Also, they are investing time in you and your work to help you write better. You need them, so tell them thanks.

It's okay to feel hurt. It will happen. But have fun and look forward to feedback as much as you can. You need it, and I guarantee you it will help you improve your writing dramatically.

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Be willing to laugh at when you wrote something dumb and be eager to listen and revise.

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