Using Criticism to Improve Your Writing
When you set out to write a book, you typically have a clear path of what you want to write. When you finish writing, whether a first draft or published book, you will rightfully be proud of your work. That is the most important thing, but sometimes, others do not see your book as you intended.
Whether it’s a misinterpretation of your themes, dislike of the genre, or any other discontent, you will receive criticism. It is a matter of when, not if. As an author, you should be prepared to embrace any criticism you receive and never let it deter you. If you are open, the criticism you receive can help all aspects of your writing and understanding of literature.
Listening to Friends and Family
Your friends and family should be the most trusted people in your life. Getting their feedback on any of your creative endeavors is crucial. Embrace their feedback the most, even their more negative thoughts. If they are truly dependable people in your life, you should always make them feel like they can express themselves.
The feedback you receive from those close to you will be some of the most valuable across your writing journey. Their honesty will be the most reliable criticism you will receive. While your writing will always belong to you, knowing how others close to you see it opens your eyes. No matter what, you will always have final say on your writing.
Accepting criticism is a skill that can be trained. Those who are unable to accept criticism can learn to embrace feedback. Listening when someone close to you is comfortable enough to give you honest feedback is a great thing. It shows stability and confidence in your own abilities.
Seeing Your Writing in a New Light
Nobody knows your writing better than you. After all the time you spend planning, writing, and editing your work, it becomes like second nature to you. You may think there is nothing left for you to learn from your book, but that is not necessarily true.
Hearing negative feedback can make you reevaluate your own choices. It can allow you to go back into your work with a different perspective. Looking for what others took away from your writing is crucial to fully understanding your book. You may learn that what you wanted to convey did not effectively end up on the page.
Finessing Your Writing
While your writing will always come down to your personal preference, you can use feedback to tweak it. For works still in the drafting or editing phases, you can directly edit your current manuscript. These suggestions are just that, suggestions, but they can show you what parts of your book might be unclear.
For already-published works, the benefits of embracing criticism are slightly different (unless you are publishing a new edition). Instead of editing that specific piece of work, you can adjust aspects of your writing style for future writing. Always be true to yourself, but do not be afraid of shifting to better reflect your intentions. These changes can even be applied between genres and types of writing. You always want to write so that your readers understand your book and its message.
Understanding the Writing Process
The process of writing and publishing a book is not easy. It takes courage, confidence, and perseverance to cross the finish line. That makes it understandably difficult to receive any form of criticism. But at the end of the day, it makes you a more well-rounded writer. Getting a big-picture view of all aspects of the industry puts the criticism you receive into perspective. It also can increase the respect you have for other authors and gauge your future criticism.
Ultimately, just because someone criticized your work does not mean you are a bad writer. Art is subjective. No two people will have the same opinions on everything. Do not let someone’s opinion of your work devalue your confidence as an author. Always write in ways that preserve your artistic integrity.
