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How to Respond to Critiques



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Sun Apr 11, 2010 3:40 am
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Elinor says...



Whether you’ve written a story, poem, or created a piece of artwork, the time and effort that you’ve dedicated to working on a piece is something that you want to share with others. You're proud of it, and you may even consider it to be one of the best things you've ever created. You decide to post it on YWS, feeling pretty confident about doing so.

As time goes on, you eventually receive a critique. Much to your surprise, the reviewer didn't like the piece as much as you did. Perhaps they thought that your protagonist was a Mary Sue, or ventured that your favorite passage was cliché. Maybe they thought your art was a little beneath the standard and told you so. You get angry, and you may feel compelled to write a rebuttal private message or even more extreme, leave the site.

Don't feel bad if you've ever felt like you've wanted to do one of those things. It's quite a common feeling that members have had after receiving criticism. However, responding in any of the above ways would probably be the wrong thing to do.

If you send a nasty PM to the reviewer, you're only making things worse for yourself. The reviewer put time and effort into lending you their advice, and may think of you as a brat who does not want to improve. This could lead to you getting fewer critiques on future works. Besides, having enemies is never a good thing, and instead you should probably talk it out kindly with them.

It’s probably better not to leave the site, either. If you do, you're cutting yourself off from an amazing opportunity to further improve your writing. Why did you join in the first place? I'm willing to bet that it was so you could share your writing and improve. You can't expect to be an amazing writer when you first start out. Rather, you should give a site like this a few months to grow on you and be open minded enough to give the criticism a chance to work. You'll be amazed at how much you improve.

Now, how should you react when someone doesn't like your work? First, you need to remain calm. No matter who you are, you're never going to be able to please everyone. It would be polite to message the reviewer thanking them for the critique; after all, they did sacrifice their personal time to give you advice. Perhaps you can explain to them parts that they misinterpreted, or tell them why you executed a certain part in a specific manner.

If you edit and post a new draft of your piece, it would be kind to message the reviewer then, as well. They're going to love watching your writing improve and change, especially if they see you take their advice into consideration.

Furthermore, pass it on! A good deed keeps on giving, so if you find a reviewer’s advice even remotely valuable, extend the same to another writer. Don't fret if you receive a negative critique, try to pull the good parts from it and use it to improve. This site isn't even about who's the best; It's about growing as a writer.

All our dreams can come true — if we have the courage to pursue them.

-- Walt Disney
  





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Sun Apr 11, 2010 12:38 pm
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Mo. says...



This is great Elinor! I totally agree! This is very helpful. :D
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Mon Apr 12, 2010 12:37 pm
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Merlin34 says...



Here's a question. What happens if you get a review that is simply crude and unhelpful. Like, "wow, this is crap. you suck."? Do you report it?
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Mon Apr 12, 2010 10:26 pm
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Elinor says...



Yes. If they're just being downright mean, you should report it.

All our dreams can come true — if we have the courage to pursue them.

-- Walt Disney
  





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Mon Apr 11, 2016 7:33 am
deleted21 says...



@Merlin34 But, I've not seen anyone being that mean so far, so yeeeah. ^^
  





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Mon Apr 11, 2016 1:27 pm
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Carlito says...



I'm very honest in my reviews and I won't hold back my opinions. That being said, I also try to tell people that my reviews (and any review) are just one opinion. You can ignore every single criticism someone gives you. You have that right. You may not improve, but that's your choice. You don't have to agree with everything someone says, but respect goes a long way.

Also, if you are thinking of trying to be published someday or write as a career, it's a good idea to get used to criticism now and start building a thick skin. You're going to be rejected a lot and you're going to get bad reviews, but you can't take that personally because it's not personal it's subjective.
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Mon Apr 11, 2016 4:36 pm
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niteowl says...



MialyNire wrote:@Merlin34 But, I've not seen anyone being that mean so far, so yeeeah. ^^


It does happen, but it's thankfully pretty rare on YWS. Certainly less common than critical reviews intended to help the author, which is what this article is addressing. :)
"You do ill if you praise, but worse if you censure, what you do not understand." Leonardo Da Vinci

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Tue Jan 23, 2018 12:59 pm
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Danni88 says...



I can sometimes be harsh in my reviews and I won't be dishonest or hold back my opinions but I'm never mean. The point of reviews is to help people, not break their confidence.
Mmm, teatime. I fancy reviews and chips.

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx


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Tue Jan 23, 2018 3:27 pm
Sveta says...



That's the right way to deal!
Elinor wrote:Whether you’ve written a story, poem, or created a piece of artwork, the time and effort that you’ve dedicated to working on a piece is something that you want to share with others. You're proud of it, and you may even consider it to be one of the best things you've ever created. You decide to post it on YWS, feeling pretty confident about doing so.

As time goes on, you eventually receive a critique. Much to your surprise, the reviewer didn't like the piece as much as you did. Perhaps they thought that your protagonist was a Mary Sue, or ventured that your favorite passage was cliché. Maybe they thought your art was a little beneath the standard and told you so. You get angry, and you may feel compelled to write a rebuttal private message or even more extreme, leave the site.

Don't feel bad if you've ever felt like you've wanted to do one of those things. It's quite a common feeling that members have had after receiving criticism. However, responding in any of the above ways would probably be the wrong thing to do.

If you send a nasty PM to the reviewer, you're only making things worse for yourself. The reviewer put time and effort into lending you their advice, and may think of you as a brat who does not want to improve. This could lead to you getting fewer critiques on future works. Besides, having enemies is never a good thing, and instead you should probably talk it out kindly with them.

It’s probably better not to leave the site, either. If you do, you're cutting yourself off from an amazing opportunity to further improve your writing. Why did you join in the first place? I'm willing to bet that it was so you could share your writing and improve. You can't expect to be an amazing writer when you first start out. Rather, you should give a site like this a few months to grow on you and be open minded enough to give the criticism a chance to work. You'll be amazed at how much you improve.

Now, how should you react when someone doesn't like your work? First, you need to remain calm. No matter who you are, you're never going to be able to please everyone. It would be polite to message the reviewer thanking them for the critique; after all, they did sacrifice their personal time to give you advice. Perhaps you can explain to them parts that they misinterpreted, or tell them why you executed a certain part in a specific manner.

If you edit and post a new draft of your piece, it would be kind to message the reviewer then, as well. They're going to love watching your writing improve and change, especially if they see you take their advice into consideration.

Furthermore, pass it on! A good deed keeps on giving, so if you find a reviewer’s advice even remotely valuable, extend the same to another writer. Don't fret if you receive a negative critique, try to pull the good parts from it and use it to improve. This site isn't even about who's the best; It's about growing as a writer.
  








Poetry lies its way to the truth.
— John Ciardi