[Jill Malcolm]

One of the things that is often not pointed out to new writers is that to be successful they have to develop a thick skin. Until you have had a lot of experience it is often difficult to work out what is wrong with your writing. You get this vague feeling that it’s not good but don’t know how to fix it. This is where getting an appraisal from someone who is an experienced writer comes in. But the only way an assessment can be valuable is if the recipient takes it on board without resistance. It’s a bit like housework – you can’t clean the house if you can’t see the dirt.

A writer with a fragile ego will not progress because they can’t learn from their mistakes. In ‘live lectures” I sometimes get students to pair off to critique each other’s work and they are not allowed to say anything positive. Many people find this difficult as they feel they might be offending the person whose work they are assessing.
I have been writing for years, and I still employ three other writers, whose work I deem to be worthy, to criticise my work. We remain good friends!!

[Mandy Edwards]

That is a very interesting take on criticism! So true though … it is so maddening to not get any ‘real’ feedback … and though our ego yearns to be massaged, deep down we know we need to get real. If we want to be real.

[Jill Malcolm]

I like your bit about getting real to be real.  I’ve learnt that ‘ego pain’ is a really important part of the process!