4 ways to handle critique and how to recover from it

Every writer’s favorite word is critique. Right? Well, maybe not, but it is the key to a better story and a better author. As a professional, you can take critique and do many things with it, but here are several ways to interpret notes you receive from your beta readers, alpha readers, or editors:

1. I can make that better
2. I see what they mean, but I don’t need to change that
3. I can change that
4. I see why they don’t like that, but that’s what I want them to feel

We will go over why you would use any of these responses, and I have a bonus number five that was exclusive to a guest post I did on Mary DeSantis’s blog. View the post here to see number five.

Need the short version of this article? Look at my guest post on Kit N Kabookle.

Here are 4 ways to handle critique and how to recover

I can make that better

Let’s start with the first one. Sometimes, we receive critique that implies what we wanted to express or show isn’t translating to the reader. But to you, the author, your scene or chapter reads how it should. You know what it’s saying, so the reader should, too, right?

If you wrote a scene about someone holding a knife, and the scene mentions being able to vaguely make out the person’s face, your critic might come back with a comment that says, “That’s not realistic. It’s dark. You can’t see anything.”

Your thought might be, “Wrong. You can see. It’s just not that dark. Comment ignored.” You might even just explain it in a comment to your reader that there’s light in there without making any change to the story.

That’s the wrong thought. And the wrong action. Why? Well, think about what they said. To you, this scene is realistic because you know there’s a little bit of light in there. That’s how you wrote the scene. But think about what your reader is saying. It’s obviously not realistic to them. Why not? They say it’s too dark. You say otherwise. So why don’t they see what you do?

The point of critique is to shine a light on the things you can’t find yourself. If you have a reader who points out the lack of light in the room, look through the scene and find where you point out where the light is coming from. Is it obvious that the ray of moonlight casts a soft light on the person in the room, or did the single ray seem vaguely placed?

How a reader interprets your image will not always match your goals with said image.

In this example, an author may describe a ray of moonlight in the room to imply there’s a little bit of light. The reader may see that image and think it’s meant to imply the room is so dark, you can actually see moonlight. Because something as dim as moonlight won’t always offer enough light to see. So, if your reader can’t see anything in your image, try to imagine why they aren’t seeing the same thing you are. Then, if possible, make the change to work your image into the image in question, and make it a little more clear. Or rework the image altogether. Either way, you may end up with a scene that weaves the images and actions better and more fluidly. Then, of course, you can leave a comment if you want to, explain what you thought your image showed, and your critic can always take a look again and either say that your change was better or that they completely overlooked where you mentioned the light. If that’s the case, you can either be happier with your change or remove your change. No biggie.

I see what they mean, but I don’t need to change that

Not every change suggested will be a change you want to make. Now, this doesn’t mean your critic was wrong in giving you a particular suggestion, but it does mean that their perspective, while helpful, might simply make you more sure of your direction.

This does not mean that you should shut down someone’s comment simply because you (1) don’t like it, (2) don’t want to go through the effort of making that change, or (3) don’t like how they worded what they said.

Always, always interpret your critic’s comments in the most objective way you can. If they sound rude, try to filter that out and find their point. If they were vague, ask for clarification in a polite way. If they talk about a direction that doesn’t match yours, see if there is another point they’re trying to make that may benefit you. If not, move on. Respectfully.

Try to look at every comment as if it has a nugget of golden advice. Not all of them do, but if you overlook something simply because you don’t want to deal with it, you may miss something that even the critic didn’t see, yet they were trying to get there.

I can change that

While I’ll never expect my clients to say this to every suggestion I have, when a new client says this, it fills me with great joy. Why? Because it means they are open to suggestions. It also fills me with concern, though. And this is because I’m afraid they are taking my opinion as scripture.

I already went over this, so I won’t do it again. But when someone talks about your book, be open to the suggestions they make and the advice they give. If you think critically, you may find that you can make a change and improve your prose. Be humble about this, and be aware of what you want for your book. Any advice or feedback you receive should be considered carefully, but only make a change if you truly believe you will improve your story by doing so.

If it seems hard, talk about it. Bounce ideas. Try things. Part of the revision process is to grow as a writer, and if you think you can make a change, find that it’s hard, and give up, you’ll lose the chance at becoming a stronger writer.

I see why they don’t like that, but that’s what I want them to feel

And then we reach the final thought on advice, and that’s the one that allows you to let a comment go completely. You will receive feedback that doesn’t match your vision for a character or subplot or even the direction of the story. That’s okay. Now, you may receive many of these comments if you and your editor or beta reader don’t share a vision, which is also okay. And if this is the case, remember that it doesn’t make your beta reader or editor (or even reviewer) wrong. It makes them different. It means your story may not be for them.

But get back to the comments among many that may not quite work for your story. You know for a fact that something wasn’t your intention, so when you receive a suggestion that recommends a change, and this change will mess with your idea in a negative way (according to you), simply let it go. If there isn’t anything you can take from the suggestion that may help, it’s okay to let it go. It’s okay to explain why you won’t make a particular change.

A good example of this is in a fantasy that ends with an unhappy ending. You’ll receive a mixture of opinions on the matter, but you definitely have one. Perhaps you’re a firm believer in getting away from reality but not avoiding the pessimistic reality of the sometimes-unhappiness that comes with it. And maybe, on a more profound level, you work through this in your story. Either way, you’ll receive comments on this, some of which will address the issue. Some will tell you why your unhappy ending doesn’t work, and others may simply tell you the ending isn’t right. The former may have something to it. Make sure they’re not finding a flaw in the story arc. The latter, however, may simply have wished for a happy ending.

Don’t be mean about it. Tell them your vision, thank them for the comment, and move on.

All done, and I’m still confident in my writing

We all know this isn’t what you’ll say after critique, though if it is, you’re ahead of the game! But the fact that this is commonly unsaid after reviewing a lot of critique is why I included it in the list. I can tell you all I want how to look at critique and improve your book with it, but if you feel awful afterward, then we forgot to address another issue in the revision process: you.

It’s hard to accept that you’re wrong, need to work on things, or aren’t done yet. It’s difficult to admit it and more difficult to rip apart the thing you most hold dear. So you will possibly feel a little defeated, discouraged, or even unmotivated by the end of this process or even part of the way through it.

So take these steps to avoid too much weight on your shoulders. Pick your chin up, use these tips, and create your own.

1. Remind yourself that you are not the first or last author to receive this much critique. Traditional publishers hire multiple editors to work on books written by authors who have been doing this professionally and for a lot longer than you probably have.
2. Talk to your critic or editor and get to know who they are first. It’s easy to give your critic an attitude if you don’t know what kind of person they are. Knowing their good intentions alone can help you work through even the most poorly worded feedback.
3. Any good, encouraging thing your critics and reviewers say, paste it in a separate document. Put it somewhere for later, and if you can, don’t read it in full until you need to. We like to forget the things we do well and focus on the things we don’t. Keep the encouraging notes so you have something to remind you how awesome you are.
4. Ask your critic what they thought of your book overall. Does your rough draft have potential? Even as an unfinished masterpiece, was it interesting? If so, understand that you did something difficult: you made a first try look good. Not perfect, but it looks good.
5. Read old writing. Sometimes seeing how much better you are now reminds you that you’re not making changes for nothing. You’re becoming better than you were, which makes you human and adaptable.
6. This would have to happen before reading critique, but make a list of all the things you love about your idea, including scenes, characters, themes, your inspiration, etc. When you finish reading feedback, this can help you remember what was exciting and get you going again.
7. Vent. Don’t talk poorly about your critic or editor, but vent about the situation. It’s okay to complain a little. Just don’t let yourself start to believe your book is somehow perfect. You’re not divine. You mess up like everyone else, and that’s perfectly okay.
8. Remind yourself how much you wanted the feedback. It’s easy to forget when you receive it, because you may want to defend yourself and your book. You asked for this thing, and someone not only said yes, but they were able to make it through to give it to you. You have to be doing something right.
9. Try responding to critique sarcastically, reading it in a funny accent, and just create some type of game out of it. If you go into this with a light heart, you’ll find it to be a lot easier to
10. Drink some coffee, wine, eat cake, watch a movie, and let loose. You deserve it. It gets rough, and it’s okay. Don’t be afraid to treat yourself and remember that you have a ways to go, but now you have the tools to make it to the end.