Home
>
Writing
>
Writers can Grow to be Comfortable with Criticism

Writers can Grow to be Comfortable with Criticism

On my first newspaper assignment as a critic, I was well prepared to dish it out. I was less prepared to take it. Imagine my surprise when my witty, well-crafted critique drew a smattering of letters filled with name-calling and nasty words. It stung. Could the critic handle criticism? I discovered that with some emotional discipline and introspection, I could not only handle criticism, I could grow from it. Here's how.

Allow yourself to feel hurt--briefly. It's natural to be shocked and hurt by criticism. Recognize it, feel it but don't allow yourself to wallow in it. Knowing you have a technique for dealing with criticism allows you to put the breaks on hurt feelings as you move on to the next step.

Consider the source. All critics can be divided into three categories. The critic can be a crank, someone that lives in pain and feels the need to spread it around. The critic can be a self-appointed expert. Such people feel they have a duty to point out other people's shortcomings. Or the critic can be a mentor, someone whose thoughtful, objective opinion can help you improve your performance.

Deal with it. If your critic is a crank, recognize that such people attack anyone or anything that draws their attention. Say a prayer for them as you put their remarks through your mental paper shredder. If your critic is a self-appointed expert, consider their motivation. Does it seem they honestly want to help you improve? Or is their purpose to disparage you so they can feel superior? In either case, their criticism may hold a grain of truth. Be open to looking for it. But if you sense your critic needs to drag you down so they can lift themselves up, raise your emotional barriers. Consider any aspect of their criticism that seems valid, but don't allow them to shake your sense of self-worth. Hopefully, your critic is the third type, a mentor, someone whose opinion you can respect. Their criticism is well thought-out and deserves your serious attention. Consider what they say and see if it offers you an opportunity to improve an actual flaw.

Move on. Take what valid points you can from your critic. Decide whether or not you want to use the criticism as an opportunity for self-improvement, then move on. If you find yourself dwelling on criticism, allowing it to drain your energy and confidence, shut the door on it. Visualize your critic, or their letter, framed in a doorway. Imagine yourself shutting the door with a satisfying slam, hearing the click of the lock and walking away. See the door getting smaller and smaller until it disappears in the past. This signals your self on many different levels that you're closing the door on the event and moving on.

Writers of any kind will always be met with criticism. You don't have to like it, but you can refuse to be wounded by it. Learning to handle criticism in a calm and self-confident spirit will help you grow as a writer and as a person.

BONNIE BOOTS (http://www.bonnieboots.com)is an award-winning writer and designer who says all writers should show off their talent by wearing their Write Side Out! Her wise and witty product line of gear that shows the world you're a writer is at http://www.bonnieboots.com

cleaning help near Mundelein ..

In The News:

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

Writers can Grow to be Comfortable with Criticism

Writing