11. Rewriting

Page 7 of 8 | Writing is Rewriting | Basic Approach | Self-Evaluation | More Self-Evaluation | Be Ruthless | Feedback |
| Using Criticism | Put It on the Line |

Using the Criticism
Personally, I hate to hear anything except praise for my work, and I'll bet you feel the same. But if you can get past the initial sting of hearing negative comments, you may find yourself with a basketful of helpful comments and suggestions.

What do you do with them?

First of all, take them with a grain of salt. Both the good and the bad.

Be encouraged by the comments of praise — that's what they're for — but don't take them as gospel that you've achieved greatness, quite yet. You've done good work, but chances are, you still have a ways to go.

Don't be discouraged by negative comments, but instead try to understand what in your story has caused the reader to find fault. And then look for ways to correct it. Take suggestions seriously, and learn from them.

Not all criticisms will be on the mark, and this is also true of suggestions offered to correct problems. But even suggestions that seem wide of the mark can help you spot problems that need attention.

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Always listen to your critics. But in the end, you are the final critic. You must decide for yourself which suggestions to take, and which to leave. It's your story, and you must do what you think is best for it.

 
 

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