Criticism can help you grow as writer, but it can also hinder you.
Have you ever gone down the rabbit hole of reels or videos tearing a new book or movie apart? From the plot holes to the character development to the annoying casting decisions, critics always have something to say.
Can these videos help you? Sometimes.
Can these videos discourage you? Almost certainly.
As I discussed in this article on first drafts, a first draft just needs to be written, and a first book just needs to be shared. Listening to heavy doses of analysis and criticism can slow you down as you question everything you have created, from your worldbuilding to your entire story idea. You start feeling the weight of other people’s opinions drag you down.
Because, at the end of the day, that’s all these videos and book reviews are—opinions.
If authors allowed criticism to discourage them, many books would never have been published. The Harry Potter series, the Dune series, and Madeleine L’Engle’s books were initially received with skepticism and ridicule when publishers first read them. But the critics were wrong.
And let’s not forget that, however much we love to laugh at books like Twilight or Divergent, Stephenie Meyer and Veronica Roth have made excellent money from boldly publishing their work.
Don’t let the critics stop you. Write your book. Let people read it. And limit your consumption of analytical videos that shred books, movies, and shows.
For all their big talk, armchair critics are not brave enough to write their own book and work to get it published. In my opinion, that is why you might sense a thread of anger, or envy, running through their often vitriolic commentaries. Those who do not have the courage to do something criticize those who try.
In the words of Ann Bancroft, “Writing is an act of courage, of vulnerability. It requires us to lay bare our fears and dreams, our hopes and regrets.” Remember this whenever you are being hard on yourself. You are a writer, and that makes you immeasurably brave.
Even videos meant to be helpful can be discouraging. They often explain minute details that overwhelm you. If you do choose to watch these videos, view them as college lectures—highly technical guidelines and recommendations, not gospel truth.
At the end of the day, every author has a unique story to tell that no one else can write. Lean into your authentic voice.
As Theodore Roosevelt said, “It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.”
Sending love,
Anastasia xoxo