I've learned something valuable as of yesterday, that I really need to remember so I'm going to dedicate some space on this loverly blog just for such a moment. Lesson Learned - Don't ask for criticism from someone who you rarely see eye to eye with. Yeah. That's the lesson, now run along and memorize it.
For further explanation, I'll tell the following story:
There I was faithfully pouring over my shiny black computer and thinking to myself, "Man, I need to become a brilliant writer because this story I'm writing is KICK ASS!!!" (Yeah, I think that way, what of it?! Geez...) Anyway, I love my characters. They make me laugh, they make me cry, I fall in love with them just as I would with anyone else, and they have little minds of their own that I just can't stop them when they set their mind to it (I have to re-write entire sections when the two of us don't agree). They are my babies and we both love each other. Because of this close relationship I am very sensitive to complaints people have about them. I realizing this now more than before, when I wasn't really attached to them because they weren't as deeply written. Now that they are more realities with lives of their own I hate hearing someone complain about them, it's not just painful to me, but it's painful to them too. People just don't understand where they are coming from. "Why did they do that? I don't get why they would do that?" Grr...because they would, that's why, damn it. I know it's not a great explanation but you can't actually expect me to control the people that are in my head. *laughing to self after reading that statement*
Anyway, I let one of my friends read my little darlings and I asked for some feedback. I said "I'm really sensitive about them, so for now I just want to hear the good things you have to say." Okay, so the good things they had to say were - It was too fast paced, it was confusing because there was no prologue (prologues are lame, I never read them, just get into the story!) I don't like that you switch between two characters. While one is doing something the whole time I wonder what the other one is doing and it makes me have to read through it to find out what is going on (duh! That's the point of a BOOK you IMBECILE!!!!!! *sigh*). The names are too weird, I'm not use to them (cool names are, well, COOL. Besides Ethne isn't that weird of name, who wants a Brittany and Jeff in every other sentence anyway, grow up you uncultured prick!) I'm going to keep complaining, even though I'm going to admit that I can't remember any details because I skimmed over it. (GRR... I HATE YOU!!! I HATE YOU!!! I HATE YOU!!!!)
Look, you don't have to read my book, in fact it was really stupid of both of us to agree to this when I should have realized that you have terrible taste in movies and you've never given me accurate criticism on nearly anything. I was such an idiot to have you read my darlings! *stupid me, stupid me*. Next time, let's just keep the conversation to the weather and your health.
Now, good feedback is in the form of "Oh, I really loved your main character, I think it would be great if you could write more of their background, where did he come from, what's his story? You should add that. I also thought the part about those dragons was confusing maybe you could explain how that happened. I think you jump from person to person a little too much and I can't keep track of it, maybe if you added their name at the beginning of the chapter I would know who it was. " Those were all really good suggestions that I could implement without re-writing the entire book for no apparent reason.
So, what we have learned here is that I shouldn't hand over my babies to someone who probably won't like them, especially when I know we don't like the same things. I should recognize and accept that things I love and laugh over not everyone is going to enjoy. I can hope they do, but it shouldn't hurt when they don't. Now remember that O Female Of Ridiculous Expectations!
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