So here’s a topic that I probably should have done before the “How do I Write?” topic. I’ve only posted one excerpt from one rather dated story in my archive as of now and that’s hardly a reason for you, the reader, to sit in awed reverence and ask “How does he do it?” Hey, a bit of self-criticism there. Segue!

Criticism is something everyone pursuing any sort of creative endeavor needs to be familiar with. Maybe you started writing because your Gram told you how great you were and always bought a copy of your newest epic that you peddled for a quarter. If that’s the case then first of all welcome to the club, second of all I hope you’re flexible. I was going to say “thick skinned” there but that made it sound like criticism is something that needs to be defended against. In reality, you should always embrace criticism when you can get it.

There’s different forms of course, the main differentiation being Constructive and Unconstructive. Unconstructive is stuff like “you suck” or “literally unreadable.” There’s not much you can do with this kind of critique except simply log it away under the heading “Unsatisfied Reader.” Keep that in mind when giving criticism, it doesn’t help much to just throw insults at another writer even if their work is the worst thing you’ve ever read. Constructive is the good stuff though, the stuff that gives you insight into a point of view you may not have considered or an expertise you lack. Take Constructive criticism and hang on to it, write it down if you like and refer to it while you work. Someone might suggest a slight tweak to a character’s personality to make a scene more believable or simply point out errors in your punctuation. Whether it’s creative or mechanical it’s gold to a writer, new and experienced alike.

Finally, I know some of you might be worried that inviting criticism will make you lose your personal style and turn you into some machine doomed to crank out “safe” work for the rest of your career, don’t be. While criticism is good, you don’t have to appeal to every bit you get. Judge every critique fairly and give it equal consideration even if you don’t use it, kind of like with people.

And with that I probably just started open season on my work. Feel free to ream me in the comments. God bless.