A Lesson in Constructive Criticism

Throughout primary and high school, I had the support of peers, teachers, and family – everyone who knew me knew that all I wanted to do was write. This support was amazing, and I am forever grateful to have grown up with so many wonderful mentors and friends around me.

However, by the time I started studying creative writing at uni, I was not prepared for the realisation that not everyone in the world would like my writing.

I wasn’t prepared for the realisation that there were people my age who could write far better than myself. I wasn’t prepared for cold hard feedback and criticism. I wasn’t prepared to have a professor tear my writing down in front of a class of fellow wannabes, albeit in a constructive manner. Reading my work out to the class gave me such a nervous feeling in my chest; as though any indifference to my writing would cause my heart to stop.

At uni, I was just another person amongst many people who wanted the same thing.

This hit me hard. But, in a good way.

I learned what I needed to learn to become a successful author: how to take constructive criticism.

I learned how to separate my feelings from my manuscript. I learned how to listen to and value different opinions on something I had poured my heart and soul into. I learned how to take those suggestions onboard. I also learned how to reflect on the criticism I was given, and to make an educated choice on what I would take from it.

Taking criticism is hard, but it gets easier with practice.

Believe it or not, I soon started to look forward to reading my stories out loud and hearing what people had to say about them. I started to thrive on the feedback.

That nervous feeling in my chest was replaced with a thrumming sense of urgency; I wanted to know how I could do better.

I started to meet my professor during office hours to talk about my work, eagerly watching the red pen fly across the page. We would talk it all through, and we would take my writing to a new level, every time. Every time I went to him, thinking that I’d nailed it, thinking that I’d put everything I had learnt last time into practice, there was always something new. And that’s the thing with writing; there’s always something new, there’s always a different perspective.

What matters is keeping calm and learning to look at your work from a different angle.

When you get used to it, there’s something thrilling about constructive criticism. It’s exciting to put your head together with other creative minds and strip a story down to the core, to find out what gives it a heart and soul.

Through drafting and redrafting and taking criticism onboard and talking with other creatives, I began to write to a much higher standard. I began to consider my choices as I made them. I began to think of writing as a craft or a skill to hone – not just a hobby, not just something my teachers said I was good at, not just a pipe dream.

I’m glad I had this experience at uni, because I think it has put me in a state of mind where I am open to criticism, and rejection.

Uni taught me that constructive criticism is not a bad thing, or even a scary thing. Being criticised doesn’t mean that your writing is bad, or that you’ll never ever get published.

It just means that there’s more to learn, and to me that’s exciting, because life is all about learning. Learning is limitless. And what could be more exciting than learning how to help your characters soar off the page, or how to make each page more dynamic, or how to add in an extra thread that ties the whole package perfectly together?

Writing a book is a journey. It’s important to remember that an author doesn’t make it on their own.

If you’re struggling with taking constructive criticism on board, whether from a writing group, friends, uni professors, publishers, or editors, I encourage you to remember these things about yourself and your writing:

1. You are brave and you can do this. Congratulations for putting your work out there! Sharing your writing is like sharing part of your soul – that takes some serious guts. The fact that you are at this stage in your writing journey is really exciting and proves your dedication. You’ve gotten this far, so don’t let someone’s feedback put you off reaching your goals!
2. Your writing is valuable. We all have a story to tell, and our experiences are all different. Just because one publisher, agent, or professor didn’t gel with your writing doesn’t mean it is worthless. Take feedback onboard, but also remember to keep searching until you find a publisher or agent who shares your passion for your story.
3. You have to keep trying. Persistency and perseverance will get you over the line! Don’t let criticism set you back; embrace it, learn from it, work with it, and keep moving. Refine your work, and keep submitting. You can do this.

If you have any tips for taking constructive criticism onboard, I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.

Best of luck with your writing journey.

Lani xx