WIP Challenge Check-in, Day 12 -- Wednesday

[linaewen]

Greetings on Wednesday!  Sorry for missing a post yesterday, it was one of my "can't escape Real Life craziness" days.  But it's a new day, and we'll see what that brings.  So tell me, what kind of day has it been so far for you today, writing or otherwise?

Did you write?

•     Yes!
•     No!

If yes, what kind of writerly activity did you engage in?  If no, what were the obstacles/situations that affected your writerly pursuits?

For Discussion:  This is my week to feature writing points from J.R.R. Tolkien.  He has some good insights into the process, and also (selfishly) it helps me focus on several of my WIPs, which are in the LotR fandom.  ;-)  Today's topic has to do with criticism.  Tolkien once wrote to his editor about comments C.S. Lewis made about The Lord of the Rings: “When he would say, ‘You can do better than that.  Better, Tolkien, please!’  I would try.  I’d sit down and write the section over and over."  Tolkien listened carefully to critics and understood that they would hone his writing down to something that would be well received by many. 

How do you respond to criticism (hopefully constructive) -- does it help you write better or hinder your creativity?  Do you use people's comments and criticisms to hone your writing?

Comments

[linaewen]

I'm not getting anywhere as yet this week with writing, since work-related stuff is keeping me extra busy. I keep hoping for a break, though! :-)

I take most criticism I get seriously, because it is often constructive criticism from regular readers who are commenting on something that they feel doesn't fit or isn't clear. And often enough, they are correct or at least have a point. Even if I don't agree with them, I take what they say as something important and try to write more clearly so that my thought process is obvious. If it's simply criticism that I chose to portray something in a certain way and not the way the critic prefers, then I may take it into consideration briefly, but I don't allow it to change my perspective or my creative plan.

[gramarye1971]

If it's simply criticism that I chose to portray something in a certain way and not the way the critic prefers, then I may take it into consideration briefly, but I don't allow it to change my perspective or my creative plan.

This is my philosophy as well. I once went round and round with a friend who disagreed on a personal choice/headcanon that I have for a character -- on a really rather trivial, not-canon-related matter -- and she had a hard time accepting it because it conflicted with her headcanon. I finally pointed out that it worked in the context of my fic, so I was sticking with it, and she finally (if grudgingly) backed down. But she's always been one of those people who has a hard time separating headcanon from canon, so I tend to give her characterisation comments less consideration if they don't work for the story I'm trying to tell.

[the_rck]

I got no writing done yesterday and haven't accomplished any so far today, either. We have people coming over this evening, so I have doubts that I'll write at all today. Still, on Monday, I finished the rough draft of my chapter. I have to go back and insert another plot thread (during a conversation, the people talking to each other can also hear what's happening in the next room. I left that part out in the first draft).

[ladygriddlebone]

I wrote today! I actually finished the chapter I've been struggling so much with for the past month, so I can go ahead and post that tonight or whenever I'm done editing it to my satisfaction. I'm very pleased about that, although I have not yet met my 500 words-per-day goal for today (I'm sitting at about 300 currently).

[barbayat]

As I reached my goal for this week on Tuesday in the early morning - I haven't written anything and don't feel too bad about it. Partly because I felt sick mots of yesterday and today and I need to work on that stupid paper *sighs* I want to write but real life comes first.

As for criticism, I love it. I usually do not get much though (I write in forgotten fandoms mostly). But I got tons of helpful feedback for my Avengers Story from my lovely beta Rice and it helps soo much. Criticism makes me much happier than praise - i know there is always room for improvement and I feel criticism help me with that. Not that I am unhappy with people pointing out what they like about my stories - that helps, too.

[snowynight]

I'm still doing world building and research. Not much is written.

I love constructive criticisms and take them seriously. It it's simply criticism of choice, like the above posters I will give them less weight.

[insignia]

I hastily wrote 250 words of half-arsed Kyo Kara Maoh fic and posted on Tumblr, just to get something done :-3