This week's post is by writer and editor Yolanda Smith. We are excited to have her join the Write Editing team.
By Yolanda Smith
Recently, a client of
mine sent a few short pieces for edit work. In her email she said, “I am pretty
thick-skinned and appreciate your honest feedback, corrections, and edits.” The
most successful writers I know have this trait in common: they’ve developed a
thick skin.
Perhaps you were born
with a steely personality, but if that isn’t you, here are three practices that will
help you form a thick skin:
Separate Yourself from Your Work
You are not your work.
Your writing is an extension of you, much like a limb or digit. If one of your appendages
were severed—God forbid—it wouldn’t fundamentally change who you are. Writing
is personal, and part of our essence leaks into our work, but after we’ve
sweated and bled all over the page, our core self remains intact.
A tough critique is not
a slam on your personality. It’s an opportunity to learn how to maneuver
through criticism, deciding what to use and what to reject. Learn to wield
objective analyzation like a skilled swordsman, slicing away input that doesn’t
work for you, and keeping the voices that ring true.
Carry Determination in Your Back Pocket
Hold your manuscript
loosely, but don’t lose sight of your end goals. Bulldog tenacity is a
necessary component of a successful writing career. Fiery determination—and a
bucket full of prayer—will carry you beyond hurtful situations. Be aware
difficult and dark moments will worm their way into your creative life, but set
your eyes on the prize and don’t let go for any reason other than a divine
change of direction. Sometimes I write myself a reminder before submitting a
piece of work and put it in a prominent place where I can see it when I receive
a response: Remember, this acceptance or rejection
will not make or break you. You may cheer or you may cry, but both are
momentary reactions. Take a few breaths to enjoy your celebration or wallow in
your sorrow, then get back to work.
Get a Second Opinion
And sometimes a third
and fourth. Early in my current manuscript I worked with a writing coach. She’s
a best-selling author and award-winning editor. In other words, she knows her
stuff. My novel is historical Appalachian fiction and as such contains dialect
peculiar to mountain folk. I took a chapter to a critique group where a few
well-meaning writers advised me to scale back the hillbilly idioms. I followed
their suggestions. When I sent my next round of chapters to my coach, she asked
what had happened to my writing voice. I lost it by following the recommendation
of writers barely ahead of me in their craft. I gave too much weight to
their assessment and was thankful to get another opinion that felt more
authentic to my story line.
Here’s a bonus element
for gaining the tough hide necessary to persevere in your writing life:
submissions. Submit anywhere and everywhere you can, thereby opening yourself
to criticism. You’re bound to find plenty of opportunities to grow beyond the
pain, and your thick skin will layer at a solid rate, I promise.
Have you developed a thick skin as a writer? If so, we'd love to hear your suggestions.
(Photos courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net, Michelle Meiklejohn, and Stuart Miles.)
TWEETABLES
Yolanda Smith enjoys
life in the foothills of North Carolina. In a “Yours, Mine & Ours” spin,
she and her husband are parents to a combined total of twelve children and
grandparents to a growing number of littles. Yolanda serves on her
church’s worship team, works as a freelance editor, is a guest speaker at
various churches, and writes in the cracks of life. She is currently working on
her first novel featuring historical Appalachian fiction. A former member of a
legalistic, cultish church, Yolanda is passionate about helping people find
freedom in Christ. She is also enthusiastic about reading good books and
correcting bad grammar.
You can find Yolanda on
the Internet at:
