This is a topic that probably plagues most writers, and after this week I thought it would be a good topic to write about on my blog.
Its hard to say who will like what you write. Who will like the story, the characters, the plot, and all the other things that go into making your story what it is.
Short but not so sweet answer…not everyone will like your story! But, that doesn’t mean its not a good story. In fact it could very well be a very good or great story, but everyone has different tastes and likes.
I gave up writing my main manuscript back in December because someone gave me feedback that wasn’t entirely positive. They found so many things wrong with my story that it deflated my ego. Yes, writer’s have egos! And when you invest your heart and soul into something and put it out there for others to criticize or review, you open yourself up to the good and the bad.
Fortunately I have many writing pals who thought the story was good, but still I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that maybe I just couldn’t write something good, and I gave up on the story that I loved the most. I thought its possible this person is right and everyone else was being kind, not being honest and telling me the story sucked.
Its taken several months to wrap my head around this whole thing and finally I’ve decided that I don’t care that one person doesn’t like my story. Not everyone will! But, I like it and that’s why I write it. It’s for the love of the story I’m telling, and so I’ve started to work on it again, and I’m happy about it. I hated not working on the story that prompted me to start writing in the first place.
The other positive thing that happened this week is that a short story I wrote, Valeria’s Knight has just been published in print. So, I guess I can now say I’m a published author. But, the really good thing is that two magazines are publishing this story, which tells me something. Maybe my writing isn’t all that bad. Perhaps its even good. At the very least… worth reading, by somebody. 🙂
So, don’t let anyone disuade you from writing what you love. You can only please some of the people some of the time…. happy writing!
Filed under: Daily Blog | Tagged: pubished story, writer's ego, Writing |
Pat's Writing Blog 
Congratulations on both getting your story published and going back to the story you love. It’s really hard getting negative responses to anything you work hard at. That’s why I think it’s important to have people critique your story who will recognize and encourage the good in it, while giving you a fresh view on anything that may need to be spiced up a bit.
Again though, congrats on your writing accomplishments!
Thank you Kati. So nice to see a new face drop by and enjoyed your comments. I’ll be sure to check out your blog and return the gesture. And, I agree, it is important to surround yourself with honest people who critique the good and the bad which only helps us improve. 🙂
Writers have to turn off that parent response as when someone says that they don’t like it, its akin to saying your kids dog ugly.
You just have to remember that its one persons opinion and that whilst not everyone will like it, there will be plenty of others who want to be your baby’s “friend.”
Hope it helps,
I loved that Gareth…’your kids dog ugly’… *burst of laughter response*! Thanks for the encouragement! Its very much appreciated. 🙂
Write for you first! The passion you have for that tale will shine through, even if it’s not something everyone will like. It’s why people have favorite genres, and even sub genres. For example, my husband and I both love science fiction/fantasy novels. But he loves the more technical books like Harry Turtledove, stories I feel are driven more by the larger actions/events, and I love the books that focus more on personal adventures, like Kelley Armstrong’s series. We enjoy both, but one style calls to us more than the other.
Congrats on Valerie’s Knight, and good luck!
Thanks Jax! You’re absolutely right. I just read that somewhere where you’re passion for your characters and plot will shine through and the reader will feel it. Its putting that same passion and love into the story thats hard to do. Just write with your feelings I guess. Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. And you’re right, everyone is different! 🙂
My first agent took me on because of one ms that my second agent said wasn’t great and an ms that my first agent rejected outright saying it was “really bad” was the reason I got my second agent! So, very different opinions – it is a very subjective business and you can’t let one person’s opinion push you away from doing something you love!
Thanks Angela! You’re absolutely right! Very subjective indeed! 🙂
Amen. My story is a medical legal mystery solved by bluegrass musicians. At first they laughed, but it sold well, and I’ve had much fun. If you love what you do it will show, and the cynical can not put up enough road-blocks to stop it.
Dr. B, author, “The Mandolin Case”
Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment Dr. Bibey. And, a big thanks for the kind words of encouragement. Congrats on your published novel! 🙂
Art is bound to stir up controversy. Not everyone is going to love every story, or every genre – for that matter. What counts is holding on to your dream, your vision, even if someone else doesn’t agree. One of my teachers told me that writing horror fiction was a waste of time. Imagine that!
Never quit.
A nice little humour in there Dianne! Thanks for your kind comments and words of encouragement. Art is controversial! Anything different always is… but it’s keeping the dream alive like you said that counts. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. 🙂
The same story published twice? Nifty 🙂
Thanks Tez! Cool comment! 🙂
Look at so many other famous people, they wrote, they thought is was crap, was told it was crap, somehow managed to get it published….and POW! The PUBLIC bought it up! 🙂 Never quit your passion, it’s that which fuels us to endure. 🙂
HUGE congrats on your duel publication! Couldn’t have come at a better time since apparently my validation of you isn’t enough. 😉 lol!!!
You are my ROCK Tam! You are the one person I talk to about all my writing! Your validation is always very important to me! Above any one else’s but only because I know you’re always honest and forthright with me and never bullshit me! 🙂
Thanks for the comments and the words of wisdom! 🙂
Pat, I’m so glad you went back to the story you love. There will always be people who don’t like your work and you can’t let them get to you. Name any major author who has ever written and you’ll find people who don’t like them, don’t get them, or outright hate them. It’s okay. It sucks, but it’s okay. The first rule of writing is write what you love. If you don’t love the story, others won’t either.
And congratulations on your double publication!
Thanks Danni, for your kind words and encouragement and congrats.
I get it now. It took me a while to figure it out though, but I’m glad I didn’t let it disuade me from writing forever. Working on short stories has kept me busy, but now I’m back to the big stuff… and very glad I did. 🙂
Happy Writing!!! So glad you are back to working on what you love.
Julie/Firewolf
Thanks Julie! Me too! Feels good again. 🙂
I sometimes get a little overwhelmed by crits that are done on my writing. A lot of the time people really like the story but technically I make a lot of mistakes and apparently do a lot of telling – which is true I do – but in the heat of the moment when I’m writing, I don’t care about that. I’m just writing the scene in my head. Sometimes I do the telling on purpose because even my head wants to skip those parts and get right to the action.
My story – my ‘baby’ – is written by hand and I won’t type a word of it until it’s done – I don’t even tell people what it’s about – because I don’t want it to stop or stall and I want to keep writing it because I love the story and that to me is all that’s important – at least during the initial writing part of it.
Congrats on getting published – that’s one thing I’m still too scared to do – put my leg out – lol. You are much braver than I am.
It’ so true that stories are subjective. And, you’ve got to write what you love.