Are you Open to Learning?

I recently reviewed a manuscript from an aspiring writer. We've all been there--in the early exciting stages of creating. We invest our emotions into our work, believing it's ready for publication, only to be told there's still room for improvement. 

As writers, though we aspire to become better, the journey towards mastery often takes time and continuous effort.

It's easy to become overly attached to our work, not necessarily because it's outstanding and ready for publication, but rather due to the substantial time and effort we've invested in it. We argue, our heart was in the right place. And Christian writers argue, but this is what God told me to write. 

But we exist in the real world and it's important to become aware that even if we've poured our entire being into a project, it's important to stay open to criticism and correction.

The individual I mentioned earlier appeared to believe that her three manuscripts were ready for publishing. From my brief interactions with her, it was clear she was defensive about her work.

Attachment Issues 

I understand where she was coming from. One book I was writing for stay-at-home moms I began when my children were just entering school. That was twenty-five years ago now. I worked on it off and on over years and submitted it to a publisher eventually. But it was rejected. I revamped it and put out a shorter self-published ebook version a few years ago and I haven't sold one!

I invested so much of myself into that project. I was sure it was part of God's plan for me to get it out there for women who were at-home moms as I had been for many years! 

After dedicating countless unpaid hours to the manuscript as I had, my natural inclination was to desire tangible returns. Whether it was seeking acceptance from an editor or publisher or opting for self-publishing on platforms like Amazon, my ultimate goal has been to earn royalties and see the fruits of my labor acknowledged. 

The Value of Critiques

The reality for a writer is that rejections and critiques are part of the journey. (And don't get me started on reviews. It's best for my self-esteem that I don't read reviews.)

To become a good writer requires ongoing learning and multiple edits of our work. We can always learn from other writers--not just from their books, but from their input in online support groups or through local meetups. There are also online articles and ebooks on the topic of writing that can help us learn and grow in our writing. 

Tough Skin 

My web content articles are always edited/critiqued before I am allowed to offer them for sale. I've had to develop tough skin. Sometimes the editors have been off base. Sometimes an editor points out a stylistic change which I don't agree is necessary, it's just what they prefer. I become frustrated in those cases. So, when I get that type of feedback, I often walk away for a bit of time and face it when I'm ready to. 

Where my eBooks are concerned, I'm a little more timid about putting them past another set of eyes. I once paid $500 to have a manuscript critiqued. In the end, the comments were valuable, but at the time I felt massacred. I scrapped the entire manuscript and started over eventually self-publishing it on Amazon.

Are you prepared to take feedback on your writing? Or are you convinced you are stellar enough? 

Will you dedicate yourself to ongoing learning so you can improve your writing?