Critically Slapped

Have you ever written something that you have been especially proud of?

Whether it be a poem; a short story; a book, or even an essay?

It may be something you have been working on for months or even years, and you are really proud of what you have achieved - Until you give it to someone else to read it.

The person you give your written work to may be a close friend, a teacher, or even a professional. But no matter who you give your work to so they can read it; the criticism you receive will always hurt no matter who it comes from.

As a writer, I get told that all criticism is a good thing: the good will praise your work and give you positive feedback. It will confirm that what you have written is pleasing to those around you, and that you can connect to your audience. On the other hand, the bad will always be depressing.

Negative criticism, in more ways then one will actually be more beneficial for you.

Negative criticism will tell you where your short falls are; what areas you need to work on, and what else you need to work on. On this, is there a more upsetting sight then to see something you have worked on tirelessly to be covered in red pen with crossing outs and question marks all over it? When you get your written work back, and it is covered in red; it takes a while to read through it all. To take in the advice and to work out where you went wrong.

When I first look at my work I wonder “what’s the point,” and wonder whether I’ll ever get it right. But then after I sit down and re-read what has been written; I realise that what has been criticised is not the actual content, but rather the way it has been worded or arranged. The other thing that may have been criticised is the spelling and grammar mistakes. All of these red markings or criticisms will actually make your writing a lot stronger, especially if you take the time to read what has been said and take it into consideration every time you write something down.

At the end of the day every negative criticism will hurt you; especially if it is something that you have been working on for ages and feel that it is some of your best work. Despite this set back though, negative criticism will help you develop into a better writer, and will improve your creative ability.

There is a whole workforce of people out there to help you when you fall short of what you were expecting to achieve. There are editors, critics, advisors, teachers, and even your parents.

What is important to remember though is that everyone makes mistakes, and everyone falls short of expectations once in a while, and that you can always mend what you have written and grow from your setbacks. You just need the courage to pick yourself up carry on. You may find that the more you've written, the more criticism you receive.

Nonetheless, at the end of the day, what you write should be important to you, and that is all that counts.

#life
#writing
#criticism
#approval
#rejection
#mistakes
#learning
#support
#life_skills

%selfavenue