As I gear up to start working on Book III again, I also want to start posting more about writing and creating in general. If you don’t know why that stuff was on pause for about a month, refer to my posts about “a necessary pain”.
I have worked in a creative job for twenty years now. Before that, I was always creative between illustrating, writing, comics, game design, music, videography, photography, and just about every other medium out there. With that being said, I have a lot of experience and have learned a lot along the way.
However, something has been popping up in my head a lot lately. That something is feedback on the things I create and learning how to notice the different types of feedback and how to respond to them.
One type of feedback I want to talk about is feedback that may appear constructive but it is actually just the other person trying to push their own ideas into your work without actually critiquing what is already there. I’m not saying that it is some sort of nefarious or even conscious thing, but it is something I have been experiencing a lot lately, as my books continue to reach more people and with that, critique rolls in.
In fact, I think that most of it is subconscious, so maybe this will help those that do it, realize what their type of critique might mean.
Often times, I get feedback that doesn’t even address what they like or dislike but instead is them telling me what I need to do to make my work better. Usually, it comes in the form of a direct request like “There needs to be a character that does x, y, and z” or “X, y, and z should happen in this scene.” My mental, nonverbal response is usually, “Well, then write your own f’n book and do that.” In reality, I just nod and wait for the critique of what is actually in the work, which rarely comes.
This isn’t just a thing that happens with writing, it’s something that has happens in my real job, where everything I do is open for critique from those who aren’t really qualified to fully understand why certain creative decisions are made on a project. While this may make me sound like a dick, most people aren’t creative people but creativity is like humor and no one thinks that they don’t have a sense of humor. They’ve all got opinions though and are quick to throw them out there.
The point being, not all feedback is valid or should be taken to heart or even considered. It’s coming to know the difference that can be challenging.
When a person in my company says they don’t like something or it “sucks”, I always ask them to pinpoint what it is that they don’t like and to offer up suggestions on how to fix it. Usually, they can’t pinpoint it and say something like, “I just know I don’t like it.” Or if they add a suggestion, it is usually so far outside of the box of what the project’s actual purpose or function is that it’s clear that they’re just trying to put their stamp on it.
There’s no need to be rude about it, and I just nod and move on, sticking to my guns because I was hired to steer the creative ship of a large company that has grown exponentially since I took that job twenty years ago. It’s this experience that has helped shape how I handle bad critique in my personal work.
However, there is also a lot of good feedback. Usually, it comes from people that work in a creative field or who create as a hobby and have a real passion for that they do, backed by hard work and real dedication to it.
To those just starting out in writing. It’s important to know the difference between the types of feedback and what the possible objective is of the person providing it, whether they realize they even have one or not.
Most importantly, find confidence in what you do. I’ve gotten some really good feedback that was truly constructive and made me think more deeply about something I was working on. In many cases, however, I still stuck to my guns because I knew what it was that I wanted and for my creation; I knew that what I wanted was right for what I needed to achieve.
Critique is important for growth and improvement, but not all critique is valid. In time, you will know the difference, even if it is sometimes hard to see now. When in doubt, critique the critique and see if they have something real behind it.
This is some golden writing advice. As a fellow amateur creator myself, I've noticed that as well whenever a lot of people critique my work. It's hard to fix something whenever someone can't pinpoint the problem themselves. Often I'm left just sticking to my guns, but it can still be frustrating for sure.
Best of luck with your writing, man!