Good morning to you all. It's journey day.
Well, I was critiqued to death last night in my short story class. When we are in school we have one teacher critiquing our work in each class. Last night I had eleven writers--daunting for sure (you were right Anne)!
I was shell-shocked afterwards and found it hard to concentrate or even have a real conversation. I even messaged a friend of mine and said: Should I give up? I think I should. Well, that's all silly of course. I don't give up. Anyway, they liked my idea it just needs work. Fair enough.
I can just imagine what it's like to be in the public eye as an artist or actor. Gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it!
Anyway, I survived.
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6 comments:
I'm not sure if my first attempt at a comment went through. Just wanted to let you know that I think that you are very brave and that last night sounds very grueling.
Thanks a lot, Anne. It really was tough. I know it'll be really useful once I get over the shock of being picked to pieces.
Are you sure about the process being useful? I'm not. I kind of liken it to parenting. How do our children respond to an onslaught of criticism? Does it actually help them grow?
I guess I'll have some more insight after my turn in the workshop spotlight.
Well, I know what you mean, but the criticism is not negative. It focuses on the work and the character development, but doesn't touch on anything personal exactly.
Maybe I find it useful because I am not a short story writer so I am entering the workshop fresh. I think I would have found it devastating if I'd invested a lot of time and energy in the idea of being a short story writer.
But the onslaught did cause me to question my choice of becoming a writer. It did make me feel vulnerable. And I did get the impression that certain writers in the room felt as if they were 'better' than me simply because Mikhail had liked their story--and that I disliked and ignored.
I guess for me it is not a contest, it is a learning experience. But, I'm not sure I would sit and let 11 other people rip apart my work again. One at a time is more than enough!
Oh, I know that there's no writing--at least, no good writing--without criticism, but it's the delivery that I'm concerned about. In my professional life, I have to be prepared receive a lot of criticism, but the people who deliver it do so with such skill that it never stings. They point things out in neutral tones, and let me act as though I discovered the mistake and the solution myself, although that is not the case. It's a special skill that I can't expect everyone to have, especially since I myself don't.
I agree that it is the way criticism is presented that makes all the difference.
I have worked with writers and editors that acted as if they could never had made the oversights that I did (even though I'd corrected some of theirs only that morning). That is insecurity and snobbery on their part and I don't fall for it.
I find Mikhail to be pretty good. He still has a bit of that 'professor-know-it-all' kind of attitude and I don't always agree with his comments; however, he's pretty fair or I wouldn't stay.
I think it is important for us all to remember that behind all work there is a person. And whether the work is clean or error-filled the author should be treated with respect.
Well, that's what I try to do anyway.
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