What do you do when you feel like your writing is at its worst and can’t be fixed?
A friend got a rejection today. The editor told her that her story had no “story arc” or “character arc.” To me, that means there was no story. Now, I’ve read this particular piece and loved it. I even gave a critique on it. It had a story arc, in my opinion, and a character arc as well. Maybe the editor and I wouldn’t see eye to eye in this, but it really damaged my friend’s nerves. She now doubts if she knows what a story is. She’s ready to give up and despite my many attempts to help her through this, she pushes me away. (That’s a story for another blog)
Anywho~What can you do, if someone tells you they think your work is crap? I’ve learned that you don’t listen, unless they are giving you something constructive to work with. Because, there’s always the chance that the editor is, quite simply, having a bad day. We all have those days, where we snap at the grocery cashier and didn’t mean to. Or snap at a loved one, cuz, well, they were there.
Now, what do you do when your friend is the one who was told her work is crap? Ensure them that it’s not and that the editor is the one that’s full of crap? But, why would she believe you? You are not published and are having just as much a hard time at the writing game as she is. Why do your opinions matter?
So, What do you do?
