“Only during hard times do people come to understand how difficult it is to be master of their feelings and thoughts.”
Anton Pavlovich Chekov
And also, during the editing process.
Working with unsolicited critique partners.
Oh, and when you agree to do things against your better judgement.
Yes, that is correct, I let them talk me into:
- Going first
- Accepting unsolicited criticism (believe me I get plenty of this all day, every day)
- Letting others look at an incomplete first draft project. Never a good idea.
I am one plain spoken woman, and I have had difficulty over the years learning to sift through my words to find those which are least likely to offend others.
Even when criticism is deemed constructive, to the person on the receiving end, it’s usually. . . not.
I love my blog buds. They give me the opportunity to take so many ideas and words for a spin around the block without fear of reprisal.
But public editing? Never again. I can take the criticism, and I know I deserved it, but I wasn’t ready to show the public what I had quite yet. Next time I’ll opt for public flogging, painful yes, but over with and the healing process is quick to start as soon as the flogging is finished.
We never see ourselves as other see us. We often are our own worst enemies when it comes to criticism. I often believe I am too fat, too tall, too old, to smart ass for my own good. And on any given day I am one, or all, or any combination of those things. Rarely, I am foolish. Which is what sums up my misfortune in posting work not ready to be see by others.