Feedback sucks

I quit writing when I was a teenager because of feedback. My friends and family generously read my stories and helped edit my mistakes. There were a lot of them.

But I let it get to me, and eventually, I doubted myself and quit writing.

It took me 15 years to get over that.

A few years ago, when my writing partner and I gave our writing to our editor, she found a lot of mistakes. But this time, I was ready to fight every one of them.

We went line-by-line through our manuscript, and she patiently explained why she made each choice.

After several hours, my brain hurt, and we were all exhausted. I had conceded almost every point because I knew our editor was only trying to make the story better for our readers.

Getting negative feedback sucks. It exposes your weaknesses and gives your ego a beating.

But when it’s good feedback—and I believe most people in my life have me generous and kind with their feedback—it can only improve your writing.

So take the hits and learn from them. Good feedback strengthens your writing and, over time, makes you a better writer.