Criticism is Good

For you TLDR people: the end paragraph (for you snarky people, the one before the  "Thank you" paragraph) contains my basic message.

Let me start off with a quote that you should never agree with: "When people give you advice about your book, don't listen to it. Write what works for you; don't give a flip about your readers."

Okay, I'm hoping that quote doesn't exist. But recently a friend told me about this "advice" that they had read on a blog somewhere. I couldn't find it, fortunately. I have no idea who came up with it.

But if someone actually said that quote, they would be wrong. I am writing this post because it seems that beginning writers are too afraid of advice, and will do anything they can to protect their pride.

The impression I get when I look at online forums, blogs, websites etc. is that whenever people give a critique of something someone else has written, the person who wrote it will stop at nothing to defend their mistake.

Why? Why do people do this?

Well, probably because we are born into pride, and we don't like being told we're wrong.

Actually, that's definitely it.

But seriously, think about it this way. Say, in one of my books, I had the following metaphor: The grass was like the sun, with its rays shining forth into the world, its truth and justice made known throughout the nations until the earth turns its back and abandons the beauty, preferring the inherent evil until the rooster calls back the sun.

Does that make any sense? No, it doesn't. If that were in my book, I would need to take it out. And if someone told me, that would be great! How would I know that it was bad if they didn't?

But then what if I defended it, saying it was "good" and "relevant?" My book would have a confusing and horrible and irrelevant metaphor. Or simile. I never can get those straight.

My basic point is, your audience is who you are writing for. If you don't write for your audience, or your readers, then you are writing for yourself. And then you might as well not even show it to anyone else.

So, the underlying message: if someone tells you how you can improve your book, at least listen to them. Hear them out, check it out. If you completely disagree with them, tell them why. If there is no good reason, ask a lot of people about it. But don't ignore your readers, because that's why you're even showing the book to anyone. 

Thank you for your time.