Constructive Criticism Can Be Your Friend

Hello everyone. I hope life has been treating you kindly. I also hope you all had a great week. I am sorry I did not write last week I was spending time with my family for Easter Sunday.

This weeks topic is something that I and a lot of writers struggle with: constructive criticism. Like it or not criticism is something every writer has to experience. If you want anyone else to read your paper, story, essay etc, then it will be criticized. Some one else is going to read it and form their own opinion on it. It's inevitable, it's the way humanity is and always will be. Your job is to choose how you react.

Criticism comes in many different forms and from many different outlets. As writers we need to decide whose opinions matter. Why are they critiquing us? Is it to build us up or tear us down? Do they want us to succeed or do they just want to create controversy? What is their purpose? What is ours? These are all questions we need to ask ourselves to be able to keep ourselves strong in the face of criticism. To make our writing the best that it can be we can't do it alone. We need others' insights because they might be able to see what we can't.

My advice that I plan to follow myself would be to reach out to some one you trust. Reach out to the people who you trust to tell you the truth even if you really don't want to hear it. Contact the people that know what they are doing and have been where you are. Turn to some one you rely on to help you see the other side.

How believable are your characters? Is your story cohesive? Is it full of clichés? Are there any major plot holes that you might have missed? Are they able to understand the points you were trying to make. Are they laughing at a scene you meant to be very serious?  Are there any spelling mistakes? Are the sentences cohesive and error free? Sure this is something your editor will do but it doesn't hurt to work on that now. Seeing your writing from another's point of view can bring new life to your writing. Don't forget, if you want to publish any part of your writing  someone else is going to read it.

When someone reads your writing and they don't like it that's okay because everyone is different. I say when because some will read something you write and they will not like it. Some one else will though. If some one gives you pointers and advice and you don't like it you don't have to use it. You can but its not a requirement. Right now you have all the power. You know yourself better than anyone else. You know what your writing is meant to say but don't be afraid to get that second opinion.

The first time I received negative feedback I almost stopped writing altogether. It was hard I felt horrible. I wondered why I was fooling myself into thinking I could ever become a writer. It didn't matter that I got positive feedback too. All I saw was the negative. I stopped writing for a little while  and then went back to reread their critiques when I was less of an emotional mess. And you know what I realized? A lot of what they said was right. They never said I was a bad writer they just gave me areas to improve. They didn't do it out of malice or ill intent. They did it because I asked for an honest opinion and believe me I got it. Did I listen and follow everything they said? No but I did change things, and I realized how valuable there opinion was. Its scary but its worth it. It's how I feel every time I publish a blog post.

So how about you? How did you feel the first time some one read your work? Do you have any tips for staying strong and not giving up? Let me know in the comments.

Eventually I will be putting together a focus group for my book. I have a few people in mind but if anyone is interested please let me know. The only requirements I have is  that you have to like to read, you can be honest, and you will not plagiarize.

Have a great week and a great Monday guys I will see you next weekend.

Why are we writing

Hey guys long time no see. I have been busy with a lot of life changes but I am back and hopefully better than ever. Besides its a new year and a new me. A me that is determined to write faithfully and fearlessly every week. A me that is going to stay on track with my writing and hopefully have a published book by the end of this year. A me that is going to work to get better and better. I mean there is always room for improvement right?

My topic tonight is going to be about motivation. Why do we write? Why do we tell stories or paint pictures  with our words? Who are we trying to reach? What are we trying to say? Some one made me realize how powerful words are. Words are able to incite revolutions and change hearts. They are able to tell stories and paint beautiful pictures that can only be seen with your mind not your eyes. Why do we write?

I know why I write now. I forgot for a time but its coming back to me. I am not writing for fame or money or to be on New York Time's bestseller list. I am not writing because I want my book to turn into a a movie or a hit TV series, even though if I am to be perfectly honest with myself that would be nice. No I am writing because I have a story to tell that I think somebody else out there might just want to hear. And if it makes them feel something, if they see the world a little differently then I did accomplished my dream. I would love to have a  published book. I would love to hold a printed copy of my story in my hands with my name on the cover. I want it to be my proof that I can accomplish something if I work hard enough at it. If I sacrifice the time and give all my effort to writing this book that has been in the work for the past three years now I want to believe it will all pay off.

I started to write because I needed an escape. I needed to build a world where I felt safe. Plus I had an imagination that just wouldn't leave me alone I needed to use that creative energy some how. So my pencil hit the paper and my love for writing was born. I loved it. I loved coming up with new characters and new worlds. I loved imagining a life for them. I had the power to control every little thing. Writing also allowed me to become the person I am today.  I might be quirky and super flawed but I would also like to think I am strong as well. I can get my feelings across so much better on paper and feel more confident as well. Writing is my passion. I might not be famous, I might not be super talented at it. I might not be a singer or a dancer or a spy, those aren't my dreams. Writing is and I hope that some day I can introduce myself as Ruth Prophete the published author.

I do not know if I have a particular audience in mind. I suppose my book would be considered Young Adult but it could be for adults as well.  Its for anyone with an imagination and loves the fantastical. I write for the book lovers and the dreamers. I write for anyone that needs an escape. I write for the people that will enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

So what about you. Why do you write. What motivates you to put pen to paper? And if writing isn't our thing what motivates you to follow your dreams? Let in the comments! Talk to you soon. Have a great week everybody!

Interview With An Author

Hey everyone,

I hope you all had a great week. Mine was emotional and difficult but its over now and the weekend was perfect for cooling down and moving on. For all of you that might have had a tough week as well just know you're not alone and next week is a new beginning. Anything is possible and it does get better. You are stronger than you think you are.

And on that note I have some exciting news for you all. I had the privilege of interviewing a new author about her first book. She was able to provide very useful tips on her writing process and ways to stay strong even when you really don't want to. So with no further ado enjoy!

What is your book about? My book is about the different branches of medical school. It's about a transition on a basic level and how fast paced it can be.  It's based on my experiences in school. I wanted to go in depth with how to stay grounded and centered and how to stay sane and get the support you need. I wanted it to be different than typical advice people are given when they start medical school. I made sure to base it on my own experiences. I broke it down into 10 different insights.

What was the inspiration behind writing this book? I knew I wanted to write a book and I just sat down and started writing. It started out as one idea and it broke into many different ideas. This was one of the broken ideas. I developed it more and came up with the idea for my book. The timing with where I was at made the topic more pertinent for me. The incoming lower class men  just started and I  wanted to give them something to help them survive.

How did you manage to balance writing the book and life’s many responsibilities? I worked on it probably one to two times a week. And towards the end made myself get it done. I set a deadline for myself and was able to publish it after the first week of the quarter. I originally  made the dead for the beginning of the quarter.

What was your style of writing: I started off by writing the first insight. I brain stormed the ten insights I wanted to share. I  didn’t have them all in one sitting. I also didn’t outline other than coming up with the ten focuses. I did a lot of explaining and experiences that readers can use in their best interest.

Did you ever experience writer’s block and how did you overcome it? Not really. I did wait a week or so for the last topics because I was thinking about my whole experiences and about what I wanted to write about and what the best advice would be.

What made you decide on an e-book? For now it is a kindle book but I would like it to eventually go to paper. There was no having to write in to publishers and wait for them to accept my book. I was able to write it and upload it to kindle. I didn’t need anyone’s approval for it and I was more in control.

What was the publication process like? I had to fill out a profile on amazon kindle and upload my story. It takes about 12 hours for them to analyze it which means  they will look it over and make sure it's appropriate and then allow it to be published.

And lastly any advice for anyone working on writing a book. I would say to set a deadline and make it visible on a calendar. Work on it at least once a week or more if you can. Keep track of your writing each day or each week and make sure to have it done by the deadline. Also be sure to care about the topic and that you also love it. Write from the heart and be open with your readers and be genuine with them. They will respect you for it and understand the message more.

 So there you have it. An amazing insight from some one who set a goal and made it happen. Be sure to check out her book at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B016GFXXRY

It's totally affordable and an amazing read. Thanks for tuning in this week I really do appreciate it. I also want to say thank you to Andrea Oswald for allowing me to do the interview and providing us with amazing insights on writing your first novel.

 Have a great week guys. I will see you next weekend!!!