Handling Criticsm of Your Writing

I just came across the following comment about criticsm:

"Seldom do I really answer those who criticize my work. In fact, the entire development of my career has been fueled by my ability to ignore denigrating and trivializing criticism as I realize my dreams and my goals."

Should criticism be ignored? Anyone care to share your opinion?

I don't think ignoring criticism helps anyone do anything but shut out what others think. Criticism is good; a direct attack is not. When people take offense to criticism it is because they have not been able to seperate themselves from their writing and consider all criticism a direct attack against their person.

What a writer should do is filter criticism. Consider what the person has told them and then think if that will really better their writing. If so, then do it. But if the criticism is something petty and just a bias against that style, then throw it out the window.

I guess once a writer feels they have ascended to a certain level of ability, they are above the reproach of any other.

Personally, i welcome any form of reaction to something i've written..even it's blunt anger. Better that than thoughtless responses.

I don't see any flip-flopping in your response. I don't give much weight to people who criticize the content of a literary or artistic work. Writers and artists are entitled to their own viewpoints and their own styles. But I am inclined to listen to criticism or suggestions concerning the technical aspects of a written work - the flow, the rhythm. the substitution of a more appropriate word or phrase, etc. That kind of criticism can help a writer improve.

I agree with the technical aspects of accepting criticism. However, one of the main things i say to people when i read their poems is that, yes it was technically sound...but boring or very cliche....i always add a note to not take offence...but, yeah..i don't think there's anything wrong with offering more than just advice on spelling...if a poem bores you...why not say so?

Surely sharing with the writer how inspired you found their work is worthwhile also.

And think how many writers would never try another style if they weren't encouraged to branch out.

'Should criticism be ignored? Anyone care to share your opinion?'

Some criticism should be ignored. Some of the most well known artist have faced harsh criticisms. It is said that after auditioning in Nashville, Elvis Presley was advised not to give up his ’truck driving job. He was told he would never make a dime in the music industry. Bob Dylan had large group of his audience walk away from one of his concerts when he was the first to use an electric guitar while performing folk music. Kahlill Gibran was exiled from his native land after publishing his first book. These are only a few of the successful figures that did not bend to find a certain audience, but found that a larger audience certainly found them.

'Wait a sec...

KOT opposed the poem "God Bless America"... okay. He doesn't like America....

But then opposes the poem "The True Terrorist"... so he does like America?

I'm confuzzled.'

I have read both of the said poems ‘God Bless America"..."The True Terrorist"...I can not comment on KOT’s comments because they have been deleted. I do think that both poems had a lot of truths that Americans find difficult to face. It is great that we have freedom of speech. I have read about poets getting into trouble for expressing their feelings

In 1716 Voltaire was arrested and exiled from Paris for five months
At his 1726 stay at the Bastille, Voltaire was visited by a flow of admirers. Between 1726 and 1729 he lived in exile mainly in England. There he avoided trouble for three years and wrote in English his first essays, ESSAY UPON EPIC POETRY

In summary it seems to me that most of the most remembered poets had to face even more than criticism

criticism should not be ignored. It helps you by points out your faults so you can work on them. Yet saying things like "it sux!" or "that was horrible!" dont help at all!!!! they need to tell you how you can improve instead of just saying how bad it was lol

Take it or leave it.

...One person sent me a PM calling me a b@#%! and to go kill myself...no one likes me...among other things BECAUSE I corrected his grammar. I even complimented his work every time along with the grammar correction.

This person (forgotten lifestyle I believe is his name on here) wrote back and said he was just being a dick.

THEN later he wrote again saying he saw my comment on someone else's poem and trashed me like the first time. I regret not telling him to go suck eggs. I didn't write back after saying some people actually appreciate my correcting them.

I think he needs help.

People...just....ARGH!

I happen to like your comments Rose, they are very helpful....and I do mean every word of it.

Don't let him stop you from doing what's right, and that's helping people with their writings...I have improved a bit since then. =)

( )_( )
(='.'=)
(")-(") Arrivederci!

My writing is somewhat like my religion. If you don’t believe it you can just go to hell

There's a difference between believing and pointing out some technical errors or suggestions.

Fine. Maybe I will go to hell. I haven't read your poetry though. Yeah... I think that's a pretty harsh attitude, but at least you don't let people get to you I guess... I have a problem with that.

*Thank you Atomic!*

♥
blush

Blusher, Micheal was only joking.

No one could be that insulting surely.

-Thank you Kevin for your sense of humor

Ismail, it was already established that it was said jokingly.
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BTW, no one asked about the origin of the quote in the opening post here, but it came from Anne Rice.

hey i dont think criticism shoul be ignored at all. i mean there telling you whats wrong with your work, so look again and if its true then correct your work or yourself, whatever. if you didnt like criticism then thats just bad because then you wouldn't learn from your mistakes...evryone always does and should learn from there mistakes!!