Well....it's been a while...I guess...hmmm....how are you? I...well...I....yes...I was....errrrr...
Awkward!
No, not really but you get the idea. I must apologise for life very much taking over the past few months almost. Life, my family and some aspects in the creation of the Chronicles of Enoch (which is nearing the end of the first draft phase, thank you for asking)...I have been neglecting my supporters. I didn't even realise I had so many but that is part of what this episode is about...
All of you may, without realising it, have people to whom your posts, your blog and words have meaning. These folks may never comment, may not even like but they are there. Maybe they are shy, maybe they think you won't give them the time of day. They often believe you have found something they didn't and are showing it to them. What matters is that they love what you post. You owe them a good post or several.
Wait? Owe? Oh yes because a writer with out readers is just a crazy person with multiple personalities they like to transfer onto paper now and then. Inventors of fantasy worlds peopled by beings they created, by adversaries who resemble those who have stood in their way and following the adventures of a hero who is everything they themselves feel they lack. Ah...that's right, me too.
We don't like criticism, us writers, not really. We're not truly a social lot, we don't really seek one another's company or that of others. We're a society of the anti-social made up of hermits. Ever seen a gathering of hermits? No; you probably won't. The clue is in the name, right? I'm not saying all writers are hermits; some of us have families and even friends we see occasionally. We began to read as an escape and write as an expression.
I hear many talk about writing as a way of telling the story they do not have the confidence to share with their mouths. They do it on paper instead. Fair enough, I say. That is their path, their reason, their need. I hear other reasons and needs;
To Teach/Share a Message
To Share an Experience or a Difficulty
To Share Victory Against the Odds
To Inspire and Motivate others
To Get Away with Saying Stuff I Daren't Say in Public
....Because I have a story to tell
Because I have a story to tell...don't we all? We all have a story we want to share, a place we would like people to visit. I have mine and I am hoping A LOT of people visit it. I hope they visit the Five-Book Series, the spin-offs, the Expanded Universe (or FanFic), the TV Series and the Movie Special! I hope for all of that because that is how much I believe in my message. I'm one of the Teacher variety of writers, you see.
Thing is that not everyone agrees with our reasons and our message. Some will disagree in what might be called a vitriolic fashion. They may stamp all over our work and, as they hiss and spit their venom, they might sap our belief a little bit. I remember a Mexican saying, or a Spanish one perhaps and, for fear of someone calling ICE on me, I will say it in Spanish first, then English;
"El perro que ladra no muerde." or "El perro que más ladra, mas miedo tiene."
In English, that means "its bark is worse than its bite." or "the dog which barks loudest is most afraid."
You may well be getting the last laugh, you realise. You know how I do it? I get criticism and snarky comments quite regularly (you know who you are...you even like my posts and enjoy the videos you mouthy sorts!) but I remember a monumental and hidden secret in what I said earlier; the meaning of the this word here;
Vitriol; harsh and caustic criticism, violent outburst or vicious expression of dislike or hatred. That is one meaning. I did, however choose that particular graphic intentionally. I chose the palindrome and ambigram quite on purpose for two reasons;
VITRIOL in alchemy or some other systems of belief refers to the quest for self and discovery thereof. Think about that one for a minute...
Feedback is by it's nature is bi-directional. Those who spit angry and vicious vitriol are revealing their own life journey and feelings. In other words, they act nasty because they feel nasty about their own selves.
Knowing this, you can be objective. You can parse the criticism for utility and cast aside the negative and useless bits. You can look for lessons and decide whether you are willing to apply them.
What does that mean? Not one single writer in the world will ever be perfect. No Writer, No Story, Nothing ever will be. Ever. Surprised? Really? Time to let that ego go then, I think.
Why? If you let go of your ego, you recognise your faults and if you both recognise and admit you have faults then you can see constructive criticism for what it is. A opportunity to learn and improve. I see it as a three-part process;
1. Accept
2. Assess
3. Apply
Accept; that your work is not 100% perfect and that not everyone who reads it is a clone of you, who can get inside your head and know what you were thinking when you wrote it.
Assess; the content of the message and the criticism. Find useful nuggets there hidden. 'Difficult to follow' they say, look through and find out why they might say that. 'Dialogue too clunky'? Read it out loud and see why. It's a long and varied process but if you want success you must be prepared for sacrifice.
Apply; Take what you have learned and realise that those who will be reading your work are not you. If those who have supplied constructive criticism were good enough to do that, be humble enough to accept it and apply it. Your writing will improve and grow because of it and your bank balance may well thank you for it.
Another small observation. If you accept your own faults and decide, perhaps, to apply them to a character, do so honestly and don't make their victory over them too easy. Remember your own struggle. If you wish to use a character to represent that struggle, don't let them win too easily because you didn't. In fact the vast majority of your readers won't have either. It will be the realism and 'believability' (my word, if not claimed yet) which allows people to identify with your characters and root for them.
We write a version of ourselves because we want to be that person, right? Well people read about the kind of person they wish they were also. Make sense now? Good :)
We will be back to the normal program next week; my little - aha - sabbatical is over, for now. I may vanish in editing in the not too far future though! Seriously no, I apologise and am back, I promise!
By the way; join the Who is The Fifth competition at
https://cyclebiker2.wixsite.com/alanjfisher/special
in order to win special prizes and other such 'amazingness' which will be worth countless millions of dollars, Euros, Pounds and so forth one day in the future!
Also it'll be fun, right? We need a laugh. Oh! also the Chronicles of Enoch Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/EnochGroup) is up and live. Consider it a refuge for all those who have seen that mainstream Facebooks are not for them, as well as a place for updates and exclusives on the Chronicles themselves. A place for writers of Faith (any denomination) and those who lack it. If you're after something less exclusive, check out the Sister Group, the InkSlingers Retreat and Wordsmith's Warren Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/InkSlingersRetreat) as well.
Come and join the fun!
Failing that just enjoy the videos!