Summer is upon us and our stories are waiting. So whip out a pen and paper or laptop and get busy! Here are a few story starters to help you begin. I'll be posting more later so stay tuned!
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Summer!!!!
Hello!!
Summer is upon us and our stories are waiting. So whip out a pen and paper or laptop and get busy! Here are a few story starters to help you begin. I'll be posting more later so stay tuned!
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
Summer is upon us and our stories are waiting. So whip out a pen and paper or laptop and get busy! Here are a few story starters to help you begin. I'll be posting more later so stay tuned!
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
Friday, May 2, 2014
Criticism
Criticism: 1. the expression of disapproval of something or someone based on perceived faults or mistakes
2. the analysis and judgment of the merits and faults of a literary or artistic work
I LOVE The Fault in Our Stars, a beautiful novel by John Green. Apparently, not everyone agrees with my opinion because I saw their feelings about the book on Amazon.com reviews. It made me think about criticism for authors from readers, not just from editors or professional critics. It hurts to be criticized, especially when the critic doesn't really know what they're talking about and is just plain mean. So how does an author not get discouraged when people are slamming their novel? After all, giving up cannot be an acceptable solution.
I believe there are simple ways to stay positive when your work is criticized. See below.
1. Check your work. The person who reviewed your novel might have a point. If your work has already been published, make sure you don't make the same mistake again. If you can't find the problem they mentioned, ignore the review. Sometimes people have problems with the theme of a book - something you shouldn't change.
2. Avoid outlets for criticism. Okay, your work has been published and you're doing well. You go onto a website that lists your book and you see a "Reviews" section. DON'T CLICK ON IT. Sure, you might want to just check out the five-star reviews but that isn't healthy either. Don't get discouraged when people tear you down and don't get a big head when people build you up.
3. Keep positive. Not everyone is going to love your writing. Get used to it. Move on. You write to release your soul, not make it rich. So what if it isn't a New York Times bestseller? Try again. And again and again, if necessary.
Writing is meant to be fun - don't let critics tear you down!
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
2. the analysis and judgment of the merits and faults of a literary or artistic work
I LOVE The Fault in Our Stars, a beautiful novel by John Green. Apparently, not everyone agrees with my opinion because I saw their feelings about the book on Amazon.com reviews. It made me think about criticism for authors from readers, not just from editors or professional critics. It hurts to be criticized, especially when the critic doesn't really know what they're talking about and is just plain mean. So how does an author not get discouraged when people are slamming their novel? After all, giving up cannot be an acceptable solution.
I believe there are simple ways to stay positive when your work is criticized. See below.
1. Check your work. The person who reviewed your novel might have a point. If your work has already been published, make sure you don't make the same mistake again. If you can't find the problem they mentioned, ignore the review. Sometimes people have problems with the theme of a book - something you shouldn't change.
2. Avoid outlets for criticism. Okay, your work has been published and you're doing well. You go onto a website that lists your book and you see a "Reviews" section. DON'T CLICK ON IT. Sure, you might want to just check out the five-star reviews but that isn't healthy either. Don't get discouraged when people tear you down and don't get a big head when people build you up.
3. Keep positive. Not everyone is going to love your writing. Get used to it. Move on. You write to release your soul, not make it rich. So what if it isn't a New York Times bestseller? Try again. And again and again, if necessary.
Writing is meant to be fun - don't let critics tear you down!
May your pens stay sharp!
*Evyn
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