Keila’s Korner

A Bi-weekly article for Proud ViM Productions:

I apologize for skipping out on having a “Korner” last Saturday – Real Life and Taxes got in the way of Procrastination. But good news-you’ll get to see me two weeks in a row!

As writers and authors, we need to be open to feedback from our readers, both positive and negative, in order to learn and grow. We need feedback in order to determine how to best connect with our readers, and how to best get our points across. It’s always nice to hear the good things, but sometimes we need to address the not-so-good things, too.

I think simple terminology can have an effect as to how open we are to accepting communications from our readers.

I found the term “constructive suggestion” in a book titled Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, which has nothing to do with writing, but I found it suitable to writing, and much more palatable than the words “constructive criticism.”

This may all just be semantics, but it changes our author mindset.

As writers and (mostly) humans, we are sensitive to the idea that someone may have a disparaging idea about our work, and we get defensive. The word “criticism” in any regard tends to trigger that feeling, even when well-intended and termed “constructive.”

The term “suggestion” comes across as “softer,” leading to more open-mindedness for listening as an author. It doesn’t inspire us to immediately become defensive and shut-down, as readily as the harshness of a criticism.

As always, it’s up to you, as the writer, to decide whose “suggestions” of your work are valuable to you, and what’s worth considering; although, for growth and improvement as an artist, it’s always worth being open-minded. You are never obligated to take a suggestion, but you may want to contemplate the possibility.

A “suggestion” may make that a little bit easier for your brain to comprehend and consider than the word “criticism,” and it’s negative connotations, which may cause you to completely shut-down without even taking a moment to understand where it’s coming from.

The following is an excerpt from an article I wrote awhile back regarding giving and accepting feedback on writing – and I think much of it is relevant to the message in this article. A link to the entire piece is provided below.

1. Don’t take it Personally

As an author, if you are brave enough to put your work “out there,” you’re going to get unsolicited criticism. Some people will like your work, some will not and some will be quite vocal about it either way. It’s up to you to decide whether or not their opinions mean anything to you.

2. It’s your Choice

As the writer, it’s always your choice to accept the given advice for changing your story or not. Does it make sense to you? Maybe it’s something to keep in mind for future work. Is the advice completely irrelevant? Discard it. You’re the author. It’s up to you.

3. Be Gracious

Especially when you, as the writer, ask for feedback. you’re obligated to consider it, but not obligated to accept it, of course. Instead of getting defensive or snide, maybe look at your work from a different perspective, take the time to decide the relevance of the critique to you, then thank the reader for giving you their own time and contemplation.

Here’s the complete article, if you’d like to read it – it addresses both giving and receiving feedback to writers:

Thank you so much for reading this piece! I hope you found it informative. Tell me, in the comments, would you, as a writer, be more open to the concept of “constructive suggestion” over “constructive criticism?”

Next time, let’s talk about originality.

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