No-one can criticise your work if it is technically good writing. Anything that is creative is based in subjectivity. When something is specific (I want you to build a wall 10 bricks high, I want you to clean my window, I want you to lay the table in perfect symmatry, I want you to answer the calls like the book says, I want you to learn this formula, I want you to learn this dance in this exact way) there is a certain mark you have to hit so that, if you are even a little bit off, you are incorrect. With anything creative/ artistic, (writing, art, music, a movie, a game, even acting) is pretty much subjective, some will like it and some won't. But I think there are certain marks to hit even when doing something creative. A good writer will know what these are and they are quite technical. Also, another note, sometimes as good as something this, some people will hate something, even if its hits many, many marks, margians and markets. Mostly because even though it is technically brilliant they hate it because they CAN say they hate it i.e, to be different, not because there is anything wrong with it.
This. I see this all the time in the anime/video game fanbases. SO annoying!! Also, people use the word overrated so much nowadays it's practically meaningless. I actually heard a guy a few weeks ago say that computers were "overrated".
Whilst I'm not an experienced writer, I am a dance music producer and have been for several years. I've experienced this same feeling with music production. And I'm willing to bet others have experienced the same feelings in any field that requires creativity. I work in Web Development too, and I experienced the same feeling there. You have to accept that this is just your way of thinking and ignore it, because it will hinder your creativity and writing process. There are some very successful authors, who have published successful books that are a crock of ****. Sorry to put it blunt. But, people enjoy it. And it works the other way around, there are some not very successful writers who never get their work seen because their worried that it's never going to be good enough - even though they are brilliant writers and storytellers. Bite the bullet. Your work will never be good enough to you. You'll always pick faults, and find things that could be tweaked, or could be changed. Even months after your work is published you'll experience this (for me I'm relating to the music industry here). There's always going to be people who don't like your work. And you have to accept that. You may even displease the majority, but so long as you've achieved what you wanted from your writing that's all that counts. In music, I experiment a lot. Sometimes I release the experimentation, and sometimes it works, and sometimes it don't. I don't care what people think though. I'm doing what I do because I enjoy it. There is no money, or fame, motivation involved in any of my creative hobbies. That's just my personal experience. Some will disagree, and that in itself just goes to show that you can't please everyone. But hey, I don't care
Fear of failure (i.e. fear of criticism) is possibly the main reason people live below their potential. Fear of failure is normal and it is great that you recognise it. On the one hand it is an in-built mechanism to get you to achieve more, to push yourself. On the other it can prevent you from trying hard, in order to avoid an emotional investment into something that is uncertain. Those who succeed in general are those who are able to get the good side of the fear (i.e. improving standards) without undermining their belief in themselves (thereby giving up even trying). Remember that those who criticise your work are not criticising yourself (if they are, then they are rude and probably have their own issues and frustration to deal with). Take the criticism as feedback to your work, not as a sentence on your permement inadequacy. Also remember that fear of failure makes you human. We all have it and we all have to devise strategies to cope with it. The work by Brene Brown on shame has helped me a lot, as has the work of Jonathan Fields on uncertainty. Hope that helps.
In the end, the only person you can really rely on is yourself. You might have a great friend, a family member, or a spouse that supports you unconditionally, and that can help a lot, but no matter how much they support you, they cannot completely make up for low self-confidence. When you believe in yourself, criticism doesn't matter. You can use criticism to make yourself better, and you don't let it get you down. With low self-confidence, it's hard to notice compliments to your writing because the criticism can get overwhelming. With moderate self-confidence, you can acknowledge compliments and let them boost your self-worth, and with high self-confidence, you don't need compliments.
i'm curious, geek... what is a 'dance music producer'? are you a composer, arranger, or...??? i'm only asking because i'm a lyricist who's always on the lookout for a composer to put music to my words... hugs, m
What are you writing on if you don't mind me asking? The style of your writing, the niche, the plot and the quality of the paragraph depends on the satisfaction of every reader. Your goal is not to bore your readers so you have to make your writing likeable and readable. Do not worry about the critics while you're working at it, finish your writing and revise carefully before turning it into an official story.
I wouldn't say composer as such. All my music is created electronically using a computer, samplers and hardware synthesisers. I create music in the Dubstep and Progressive House scene. It's still composition, arrangement and creativity although it's a different way of working when compared to a live band.
You can write for everyone, "Status Quo", or you can write for yourself, "Unique". I prefer the later. But know this: Beyond a basic foundation or set of rules that are known to be strong and true, in life there really is no right or wrong. There are only opinions.
Writing takes a lot of courage, be courageous! It's bound to happen no matter what you write and how you write. Just like in real life, no matter what you do, you cannot please everyone. And if they all hate it, at least you generated some feeling! Hate is better than nothingness. To me writing is courage: it's walking on the "dead man" plank blindfolded knowing that your next step can be the one throwing you in an ocean full of sharks. You cannot be a writer unless you feel you have to, you have no other choice, it irks and you cannot sleep, it hurts and you cannot shake it off... maybe I'm a bit on the dramatic side, but if there is no passion there is no story. Gia
