ᴄᴏɴsᴛʀᴜᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴄʀɪᴛɪᴄɪsᴍ- is the process of offering valid and well-reasoned opinions about the work of others, usually involving both positive and negative comments, in a friendly manner rather than an oppositional one. This is the general want, when someone asks for advice. We want Constructive Criticism. I’ve been sort of going through this whole thing where I’m talking about rejection, and how long the process is- basically this whole idea of making sure that you never give up on something that you love; no matter what anyone says. And I stand by that. I’m this small time something or other, trying to get my name out there as much as I can. I’m not doing so bad, and in the time, I’ve been working on getting myself out there; I’ve been put down and rejected. It hurts and makes you quickly want to put on the brakes. But I expect a rejection letter and I expect to put myself down along the process. Especially when it feels like it’s taking me forever to get to one point, or I put myself on a timeout to breathe away from the constant selling of myself and my work. However, the last thing I would want or expect is for my own peers to push me down as well. We should be able to come together and advise from our personal triumphs and tribulations. Yet, when I’ve been getting a couple comments regarding my work, that are claimed to be Critical Criticism, and I read over and over the words. I feel the sting that they leave behind, and I realize that what I’m reading is not critical in a sense to make me feel okay about what I’m doing but to let me know that I’m no good at what I’m doing. These messages are missing a key factor, and whether the other person is aware or not; unless requested for this tidbit of information I’m not even sure it was needed to be said. I didn’t ask to get put down, and I certainly wouldn’t request such harsh advice. We are all working to find an end goal, and we’ve all felt the pain of getting told no, or of just being our own Negative Nelly, that we don’t need anyone else doing it for us. As peers, we should push in the right direction, advise when asked, and give compliments where we see fit. It isn’t a competition in truth, because there are so many needs for products, for help, for books, that we should assist in a way that benefits everyone. Just think. If you were to work together with that person that you saw as a competition, you may be able to pick up more followers, learn new techniques, and even possibly realize that you aren’t so different. We all have mistakes, faults, and our own negativity that we deal with. There’s no reason to add more to someone. Be a light in their darkness. There will be one person that you will give a compliment to that it will benefit them in a way you wouldn’t even understand, and in the end; wouldn’t that feel better than trying to suffocate the flame they’ve worked so hard to build?
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Rejection...Criticism...the things we all have in common. The 'R' word is a tough pill to swallow, however we have all heard it in some form or another. But as a writer, trying to get out into the world, trying to get noticed; that word hurts to the core. This is your baby that you've been working on for what feels like YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. You finally have it completed and you think "now is the time that it will get picked up, put on bookshelves, and sold. Later a movie deal." Then the emails come back and it's not turning out how you thought it would...but let's face it; life never does. Get the chocolate, the wine, the 'whatever makes you happy' stuff out of the way and dust it all off. People get rejected every day, but there wouldn't be success stories if those people didn't move along. Research the heck out of query letters and see what exactly you might be missing, find peers to glance over what you have and see if they notice something, or maybe...that specific person that you sent that query to, or those multiple people; they aren't the ones for you. Do the research, if you feel you have done all you can in that avenue- change your path. There are publishing companies out there looking for you. Or of course, the ever-growing Self Publishing biz is always ready for a new face and new story. Don't let this one time, or even handfuls of rejections let you stop from following your dream. You'll get there, but only if you push yourself. It takes time, effort, a solid foundation to find your footing on this massive adventure. Don't let it get away from you. Just remember, Harry Potter was rejected 12 times before J.K Rowling found success! Falling into the writer category is a milestone itself, finding yourself pushed into those multiple categories, or trying to find that spot where you fit in; that is so very difficult. There are a million people out there that have already wrote books that are in your genre and sub-genre. It seems nearly impossible to stand out. There just doesn’t seem to be any reason to continue. Is this really something that you can be a part of for a long term type position? How did you get into this anyway? Some random decision that you wanted to try your hand and now what? No one is ever going to want to read your book. There are always so many questions that go along with this, so many concerns. When you first decide to step into the writing world, it feels like you have just stepped into a crowded arena and you have to fight to get to the top. There are so many genres and sub-genres. It is difficult to find your true place, but you will. There will be that niche that you climb into that will make your fingers go non-stop. Even if you don’t fit into one, and you enjoy a few different ones; there’s nothing wrong with that either. Writing is meant to make you happy, especially if YOU have decided to step into it. It can be work, and be very difficult but very worth it once you slide in and find that perfect spot. Standing out. That is difficult with so many other writers out there, but you can do it. Write. Then meet other writers. There are so many websites and groups that push you into the right direction and then from there it will be easy because you would have found those that you can communicate with and talk to. There will be new friends and priceless moments as you grow in your ability. If writing is a passion, then there’s no reason to step back. Even if this is a hobby or hopefully a career, it does take quite a bit of time and effort. Everyone has a reason to get into writing, and no matter what that reason is; it’s what will drive you forward to accomplish and each goal that you’ve given yourself. It does seem all very overwhelming in the beginning, and even years in, but don’t ever give up on it. There are so many resources to use to help with writing, and finding your place in it. And even if your concern is that no one will read it…even if only one person reads it, that is worth it. The first goal is to finish the work, then get it read. You have already accomplished so much by simply deciding to be a writer. And each step from there is a new accomplishment that you should pat yourself on the back for. It’s a learning experience that we are each consistently learning from. Sure there are a lot of writers, but no one has written what you wrote. No one has come up with the ideas you are putting on paper. They are unique, just as you are. Quitting isn’t an option when it comes to something you love. You've got this. ‘Don’t rush. Take your time and let it progress naturally.’ Advice I should have listened to for MANY things in my life. 😊 but that is important with the writing and publishing process. Process -yep that’s what it is. There are steps to follow and honestly, my first novel and what I’m dealing with now is the proof that you should never rush the process. I’ll go through the steps in my next blog post, or the steps that I have learned that need to be done for sure. There may be more than what I put up later on, but just the basics are enough to follow with and then you find your steps along the way as you go along. But this post will be about why you should follow through on this, and to talk about the consequences of rushing. You see, I started writing my book in November 2011, and had the first draft done by about January. I was beyond excited, telling everyone. I was getting my social media started, as best you could back then. Twitter was the hit and Facebook, and I was all over both, gaining the people I needed to gain. (I followed that rule well), but then I erred in thinking that I just needed to have some proofreaders and to read over it myself multiple times. An important aspect of the process is getting it edited. Write it up, re-write it, and then edit it. I was thinking that I had done so well, there was no problem with skipping a step or so. THIS IS WRONG! Don’t do that. I was hit hard with bad reviews after and later coming to the reality that I am an excellent storyteller but an awful writer. It took me a while to understand that statement. It is possible. Let me say it again: You can be an amazing storyteller but an awful writer. I can write, don’t take that the wrong way. I have pretty good grammar and can type up a paper with it making sense to a reader. However, my punctuation is terrible, and I skip important movements of characters. (Ex: I get them to where I want them to be without explaining how they get there.) I practice this to this day and I must pay a lot of attention to what I’m doing because a lot of times my brain is going faster than my fingers and so I end up skipping over important details. I’m not ashamed to admit these things, but that’s why there is a process out there to help everyone get through it and come out better at the end of it.
A new series is coming next year! |
Being a familiar is a full time job...well for Jersey and her clan it is. That’s all she was taught as she grew up and now that she's in her mid-twenties and still hadn't found her ward; it was becoming embarrassing and downright depressing. Her friends, people she had known all her life, were leaving constantly and she was on her own. Not only was it bad for the soul, but also apparently not good for her health as well. Without a ward, her life's duty was not being accomplished and her destiny was fading with each passing moment. However on one fateful day, she felt a pull...one she had been warned about and told to follow. He was near and soon she would have everything she ever wanted and desperately wanted. Yet, as her fate would have it; the guy had no clue of what she was, what he was, or what they were destined to be. There's a connection, stronger than either one of them can comprehend. Jersey has her work cut out for her to claim him as her ward and mate, before her life fades from existence. If she couldn't convince him of what he was, and why she couldn’t leave him alone; things were not going to end well. How is she going to convince this man that he is not only a witch, but also meant to be with her forever? |
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Tiffany Heiser
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