This
is the first Wednesday of the month, so that means IWSG time. Thanks to Alex J.
Cavanaugh and friends for hosting this each month. If you want to take part,
you can. Here is the link.
This month is extra-special because for the first time I’m co-hosting, which
means I’ll be around to visit.
What
makes me insecure? In general, not too much, but in relation to my writing—just
about everything. It’s hard to put yourself out there, to make yourself
vulnerable, which is just what you’re doing every time you write something you
intend to have someone else read. Will they love it? Hate it? Does it matter?
That’s
the question to ask: Does it matter? I’d like to say it doesn’t for me, but
that would be mostly a lie. I squeal with delight when I read a good review, and pout equally loudly when I see a bad one. But that's me. After four years in this writing thing, I've decided I'll probably always be like this. How about you? Do reviews still matter to you?
Thanks for co-hosting this month! You'll do an awesome job.
ReplyDeleteIt does matter. We need to know someone else enjoyed our vision..
Writing makes me insecure too.
ReplyDeleteI don't care so much about bad reviews--to me, a bad reviews simply means the person wasn't meant for my audience. But I love those good reviews.
ReplyDeleteHave fun co-hosting!
If we didn't feel some level of insecurity at every point, we wouldn't be humans. And I think it matters, all of it. If people love or hate it—any emotion is better than boredom. Reviews matter to me as well. Good or bad, I learn from them and it points us in the direction of what fans might want from us in the future.
ReplyDeleteReviews, or lack thereof, have created more than my share of frustration. One unkind review can spoil the entire day. My Monday blog revolved around a review written for a "Kindle First" offering. No one is immune from a bad review, including Stephen King and Randy Wayne White. Somehow, that doesn't seem to help though.
ReplyDeletePutting our work out there is scary, but it has to be done. Writer's need thick skin of armor to survive...
ReplyDeleteThick skin is the key. Easy to say. Of course we're insecure. As artists, we feel things--a lot. Thanks for co-hosting!
ReplyDeleteI'm not published yet to really say hehe, but I can imagine they're something I'll have to get used to. Thanks for co-hosting!
ReplyDeleteOoh, pondering the matter of an anxiety. *sighs* You're right on, but sometimes that is so hard to see. One of the million reasons why groups like this are so important.
ReplyDeleteI hate to say it but yes, reviews still matter to me, perhaps too much so. But that is the life of this writer for now. I'm reading Agatha Christie's autobiography right now and am learning so much not only about her but about her writing. I wonder if she'd be published nowadays with the changes in the industry. I remember Tony Hillerman saying, years ago, that he didn't think he'd be published even in the 90s if he were just starting out then because his editor had really made him the writer he'd become... Thanks so much for co-hosting this month!!!
ReplyDeleteIsn't this just about the craziest roller coaster ride you've ever been on? I'm with you on how I feel about writing. In other areas of my life I'm pretty comfortable. Stable even. :-) Great to meet you as fellow co-host today. New follower.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting! Lovely to meet you. Reviews still matter to me, too. It used to be a huge thing for me. Nowadays, I still experience the highs and lows, but it doesn't affect me that much as it used to.
ReplyDeleteSittieCates
IWSG#213
I decided I would accept (i.e. not fret) too much about reviews (I don't have many.) I believe even a bad review can bring people to your work. The adage "any publicity is good publicity" is often true. Reviews are someone's opinion and I can't control that. So I focus on that which I can control and let life be what it is elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteThough we tell ourselves it doesn't matter, on some level I think we always wonder why they think so and analyze bad reviews. After all, writing for publication is like giving birth to our subconscious. It's often painful and frequently messy. Thanks for the cohost!
ReplyDeleteFwiw, I just published my debut.
ReplyDeleteReviews matter, but I know I can't get caught up in them or respond to them. Every reader has a right to his or her own opinion, and my story is not going to please everyone.
Thanks for co-hosting. :)
IWSG #215 until Alex culls the list again.
I think insecurities come and go. There will be times when you feel strong and secure. Then bang--something happens, or someone says something ... At least you know you're in the right place. Thanks for co-hosting, Melanie!
ReplyDeleteYay for hosting!!! In the beginning, what other's think of our books does matter to us, but we eventually learn (hopefully) that what other's think doesn't really matter at all. We love our stories, and that's all that really matters. And we also forget that our stories were good enough to be accepted for publication, meaning editors and publishers were behind our stories. And that's huge!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chrys. Don't forget when your stories are "good enough to be accepted for publication, meaning editors and publishers were behind our stories. And that's huge!" There are always going to be people who aren't going to like what we write and we are going to have to learn not to let it get to us. I still haven't gotten that thick of a skin yet, but I'm better. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not published, but I've taken the critiques, feedback and advice given to me about my weaknesses and have worked on trying to correct them. Unfortunately, sometimes bad reviews are nonsensical and have nothing to do with the writing or the author and have no business being listed. I commented on a bad Amazon review a couple of days ago, as a matter of fact.
By the way, thanks for co-hosting this month's IWSG. Eva
We're human. We want to feel loved and accepted and that our work is also loved and praised. Continue to put yourself out there and soak up the love!
ReplyDeletePlay off the Page
Thank you for co-hosting, Melanie. I hate to think it's true, but it does matter how people react to my writing. I think we all want to be appreciated and understood. A good critic, editor, or teacher can teach someone a lot about his or her writing. There are always going to be mean or unkind people. I can't control what they say, but I can control what I do. So I try to react to other's writing in a respectful and constructive way.
ReplyDeleteI like to believe that I only write for myself, and that as long as I love it, it doesn't matter, but I still turn into a nervous wreck whenever I let someone read my writing - I definitely care what they think of it.
ReplyDeleteI think they will matter to me, because I care about my stories, but I hope I will be able to shake off the bad ones after a little pout too. Its life and being human to care to a certain degree. Sometimes I think maybe the bad reviews can be just as helpful as the good one in learning what not to do, and what needs improving, as long as they are not just mean.
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting on my blog.
Happy Writing, and I hope you get very few bad reviews
Juneta at Writer's Gambit
Yes, I still seek reviews for The Guardian's Wildchild. To date, I've been pretty happy with the reviewer's comments. And, I do breathe a sigh of relief that the reader enjoyed my novel. After all, that was my goal from the beginning - not to make a ton of money, but to write a story that made a reader as excited as I was writing it. A few reviewers made comments about what they didn't like and I took that as constructive criticism. And, I know that not everyone is going to love a book. That's just life and people's individuality. Thanks for your article, Melanie.
ReplyDeleteIt's a risk. If we aren't willing to take it, we can't call ourselves writers.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah. I live and die by reviews. A good review can put me in a good mood for a day, while I can dwell on a bad review for weeks. Neurotic, but true. It takes real guts to put your work out there for others to pick apart.
ReplyDeleteAfter 10 years in this I still get that way. It's just natural. Our work is like an extension of ourselves, no matter how hard we try to disconnect.
ReplyDeleteI think I can connect with everything here especially the part about fears! Thanks for stopping by! http://iknewiwould.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, reviews and comments matter to me, even after many years of writing. I want others to love my characters the way I love them. That's not always going to happen, because we're all different. I accept that, but it still hurts to receive a bad review. We survive though. Writers are tough.
ReplyDeleteGetting feedback is definitely important, although keeping in mind where the comments come from is probably equally important. Love the honesty here: not insecure about much until it comes to writing. Thank you for that.
ReplyDeleteSilvia @
SilviaWrites
I know they matter to me. I know there will be good and bad but they all leave their mark.
ReplyDeleteI think they matter immensely, but not equally. I place a great deal of value on well-thought reviews, especially those from my CPs. But general reviews, the kinds that seem surface or mean, well, I get irritated an then I forget them. Something matters when both reviewer and reviewee actually give it thought.
ReplyDeleteGreat question. Thanks for co-hosting!
After reading a few reviews, I decided to stay away. They put me on an emotional roller coaster that distracted me from writing. I do pretty good at not reading them. Although, I am bummed I don't get to see what people loved or something they didn't like (in hopes of improving my writing from the critique.)
ReplyDeleteI don't know if reviews matter to me because I'm not a published author, yet. But, I would imagine they would always matter. Unless you become extremely secure with your own writing, then reviews will always either bolster your ego or deflate it.
ReplyDeleteHey, Mel.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting this month! Of course reviews matter to us... WE are HUMAN.... We all want to be praised for our hard work. But we are also in an industry that dictates subjectivity. So we need to have on our armor at all times... Just remember with every review you have touched someone's life. Even if it's negative you stirred some emotion.
I echo what Michael has said.
ReplyDeleteWhether the review is positive or negative, you have stirred an emotion within that individual.
Thanks for co-hosting the IWSG this month!
First of all, thank you for stopping by my post! Nice to meet you and congrats on the co-hosting this month. Your post echoes mine: does it really matter if anyone cares? It does, to us, but more importantly do YOU care? If we don't care about what we're writing, if we aren't in love with the story, we can't expect anyone else to care either. It will show in our words. LOVE what you do and you will find your voice; find your voice, use it, and someone out there will connect with it! Someone needs to hear what you have to say :)
ReplyDeleteJen
Yeah, it does kind of matter to me if someone loves or hates my story. Not that I expect everyone to like it, but for me, the more people who like my story, the more real the story feels to me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting the IWSG this month.
Definitely matters to me. We get so little feedback from readers. We tend to obsess over the smallest crumb of a response.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting this month.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, reviews will always matter because, for the most part, authors have no other way of finding out what readers think of their work. It's great to have fans, but we must all face the reality that some people may not like our work, for good and bad reasons. As long as what and how often you write isn't hinging on reviews, it should be an obstacle most authors can overcome and grow to appreciate.
I haven't had any reviews. But I'm sure if I ever do I'll be equally amazed and insecure. Can't be in this business and not want people to love what you write.
ReplyDeleteThis is spot on for me! For this month's IWSG I had written on a very similar topic. I had even used the term "put myself out there" just as you said, but I ended up rewording it. I am totally insecure about others, especially people that I know, reading my work. Thanks for your contribution. It was really helpful to me!
ReplyDeleteI think it's normal to squeal when it's good and grumble and pout when it isn't. I can take crits of my writing, but I'll tell you, the rejections still get me. I know many well established authors, many bestselling authors, that still do as you do, Melanie. You're in the norm, lol!
ReplyDeleteSia McKye Over Coffee
Deep down I do the same, but where everyone can see I keep my hurt feelings to myself. Everyone is entitled to an opinion)
ReplyDeleteAnna from Shout with Emaginette
Yes, reviews do matter to me, but I don't check them very often. I'd go insane if I did!
ReplyDeleteYes, I get grumpy with a bad review and pretty big-headed with a 5 star!! Thanks for hosting IWSG.
ReplyDelete