Let Your Critics Be Your Best Friends

[snakeair]

So, do you listen to your readers? Do you let people edit your work? Can you take some negative facts about your writing?

One thing is for certain, i'm drinking to much rum after writing. lmao

Check out this blog post, it's a interesting read. This is a guest blog post on the problogger blog btw.

When I first started to write professionally, I hated people editing my work. To deal with these personal attacks, I would rant, cry, drink too much, and otherwise freak out.

But one day I parked my ego long enough to realize that many of these editors were highly skilled. Others knew more about the subject or the organization’s perspective than I did. I needed them.

Working in corporate communication, I was still stuck with the busy-bodies who felt they had to contribute to the tangle of edits that approvals processes create. A few were convinced they were “adding value” by inserting lame jargon or grammar mistakes.

These ego critics drove me crazy, still do. But the wise ones helped me become a...

Continued at: http://www.problogger.net/archives/2...-best-friends/

Now the people who post "Awesome post" type comments on my blog get under my skin. Why not send the blog post to the social world instead of making me delete your low quality response that added no value.

Please share your thoughts after reading this blog post.

[JohnJS]

This is definitely true. Whenever I get feedback, I take it into account (even if it is the ranting, rude variety rather than constructive). As a writer, I have developed a thicker skin over time and have learned to use what people are trying to tell me (as best I can).

[RESteve]

I find that criticism, be it constructive or even destructive, is always tough to take. I struggle with this on a day to day basis even to this day. Destructive is just that - but constructive, when from a reputable source, can be invaluable to the writer if he/she takes the time to take it into consideration.

I think the key is to separate the dinstinction between the criticism making a personal attack on you vs. the work. The person giving the criticism doesn't personally know you, so taking something personally is probably the wrong course of action. Rather, if you focus on the criticism being a reflection of the work, you can use it that information to help you write better in the future and identify areas in your writing skills that need improvement.

In seems that having "thick skin" as John puts it is an asset to nearly any profession.

[skydome]

I basically learn to value criticisms overtime. At first it was really hard to take but then I realize that it's part of growing until I finally learn to take criticisms as a positive form of motivation.

[dcreator000]

when i got my first rejected article, i was really disappointed, knowing that my efforts were useless, and it took me some time to recover and be able to write again.

[Czorny]

Was that Dave Ogilvy to write something about "yellin' at critics"? I believe it was him. I know that these mumbler-people are kinda' useful, but I still cannot say I love being criticized. I'm not a masochist, you know.

[snakeair]

I don't like being criticized for my writing style but i'm not going to change at all. I can tell a good story face to face but getting it down on paper or in a blog post is a little bit different. The story is not the same.

Getting a rejected article can mean a number of things you did wrong. I always double check the article directories editorial guidelines one more time to see if i misread something.

[WebOut]

Constructive criticism in writing is really good. This is how we learn.

[Dreamrage]

It can be a good thing, but sometimes a not too good thing as well. I've seen it in other areas besides writing where criticism can really kill a persons will to carry on writing, creating or whatever avenue they're in. Getting criticism from an expert is invaluable because it helps you to grow, but at the same time, getting criticism from someone who "thinks" they are an expert can hurt more then help. (unless it helps you to grow a thicker skin).

As an example (and a slight deviation), I started drawing anime about 5 years ago, or should I say tried to lol. I had a watcher at deviant art that would check my latest work and give me some feedback. I am a good photo manipulator, and at the time, I was starting out with anime drawing, so I was unsure, insecure about my abilities, but at the same time I wanted to learn, to improve (more or less the same as someone that just started out writing for the web). So this member would take a look at my new work, and step by step take it apart and in the end I disabled my account, and stopped drawing anime for about 2 years. At some point, I went to have a look at their own work, and saw that their drawings were only marginally better than mine, so how they felt they were an expert was beyond me, but its taught me a valuable lesson. Not everyone is going to be happy with what you do, either online or offline. Criticism should always be taken with a bag of salt, and never personally, even though sometimes its actually meant to be taken personally, to try intimidate you to stop writing/drawing/or whatever route you have decided to follow online/off. There are experts that will genuinely try to help you, and there are critics that are "jealous" (for want of a better word) of your abilities and feel threatened and will say what they can to intimidate you. Take what you can from any criticism and build on it, and don't let them break you down.

[rahulbangar]

In my opinion, Criticism is important. These people are really a man's best friend. They may speak harsh but may be they are right. One can improve his work only when others tell him about this weak points.

Personally, I have always listened to the people who criticize me. If you think that they are giving you some good points or good advice, listen carefully. Criticism is essential for learning.


One of my favorite quote "Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots."

[PrimeOutsourcing]

Always welcome critics! Because they can help you to improve more.

[Maa]

I think constructive criticism is good sometimes people see things that you might of missed. I know one time one of my links was not working properly and someone from a social network that I participate told me about it. I was happy that she told me because other wise I wouldn't have known. I usually do go back and check the links but this particular day I was in a rush and didn't do it. Constructive criticism is good but one should tell someone the way they would like to be told. Otherwise whatever you may be telling someone even if you are right if you are rude in telling them they will not listen and what's the point of giving advice if no one ever listens.

[snakeair]

Originally Posted by Maa

I think constructive criticism is good sometimes people see things that you might of missed. I know one time one of my links was not working properly and someone from a social network that I participate told me about it. I was happy that she told me because other wise I wouldn't have known. I usually do go back and check the links but this particular day I was in a rush and didn't do it. Constructive criticism is good but one should tell someone the way they would like to be told. Otherwise whatever you may be telling someone even if you are right if you are rude in telling them they will not listen and what's the point of giving advice if no one ever listens.

I use a plugin for wordpress called Broken Links. I run it once a week and correct or investigate the results that I get. Sometimes this plugin don't spot parked domain's so I do manually check random pages and blog posts every weekend. (Spend a few hours doing this)

Why I waste all that time doing that? Well, I don't want someone landing on my blog from the search engine to find out a dead link. It might turn them away from looking around the blog even more or subscribing.

Not that often, someone actually contact's me and tells me about a broken link or some sort of problem on my blog to address. I wish more people would do this though.