We’re a little over a week away from Halloween.

That means that lots of people are paying attention to the scariest things we could experience on this earth. People will dress up as werewolves, vampires, and worse, the IRS guy, but none of those things compare to the truly, most terrifying, gut-twisting thing on this entire planet.

Giving your story over to someone for critique. :O

I know—I know. It’s horrifying to even think about, let alone actually do. For those of us with an out-of-control inner critic, submitting something for critique can be overwhelmingly terrifying. After all, just because we’ve said bad things about ourselves and our writing doesn’t mean we want other people to say those things, too.

A Positive Critique Experience

I found critique so scary that, when I had to give my novella, Copper Lies, to my editor, Brad Pauquette, I actually prayed for months that it would remain on the bottom of his to-do list. For a short while, my prayers were answered, and my editor felt really bad about it (sorry Brad.) But then, eventually, he got through his to-do list and got to work on my novella.

Lucky for me, my editor thought the story was worth moving forward with, and all that fear, hesitation, and misguided prayer against my editor were for naught. (Again, so sorry, Brad). After implementing the edits recommended, the book was ready to move forward.

In fact, I’ll be releasing Copper Lies in December! (You can Join my newsletter to get regular updates about it, or consider donating to help produce the book!)

Now, I know what you may be thinking. “Alli, that’s all well and good, but you’re a good writer. You shouldn’t fear critique because it will always turn out well for you.”

I so desperately wish that was true.

Not every project works.

After I wrote Copper Lies, I moved on to writing a novel. It was an ambitious project, with a really interesting premise. However, it wasn’t in the POV I tend to write in, nor did it play to my writing strengths. It was a challenge, and I struggled to write and then edit it. In fact, I found it so bad, that Jesus himself had to show up in a dream to tell me not to give up (read about that experience here).

I hated it. Every chapter, every character, every single word. I knew it was terrible—for real this time. Not just my inner critic getting out of control.

Finally, I called it done and sent it to my editor.

And he agreed with me. It needed work—a lot of work—before it would be even close to publishable.

Disgraced. Rejected. Publically humiliated. Why, it was more than I could bare.

All the words that people had spoken over me came rushing back.

“You’ll never be good enough,” “You’ll never amount to anything,” “You are a stupid girl with stupid ideas.”

I had a choice to make: move on with the project and do the work that needed to be done, or set it aside and let it breathe.

Of course, there is the secret, third option, too. Let the project’s failure define me as a writer. Give up on all hopes, dreams, and aspirations of succeeding and, ultimately, call it quits as a professional author and go get a job at Dairy Queen. It’s not a super appealing option, though, is it?

Moving On

Ultimately, I decided to put the project aside and let it breathe—for now. Right now, it’s sitting on the bottom right shelf of my desk, tucked away. One day, when I’ve grown a little more as a writer, I’ll revisit that project and try again. But until then, it’s okay to set it aside and let it breathe.

Not every project is going to work. Not everything you write is going to be publishable. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth writing. You grow your skills and understanding with every word you put onto the page—whether anybody else will see them or not.

I don’t know where that novel is going to go. It could sit there on my desk for the next twenty years before I’m ready to revisit it. But it taught me something important. It showed me where my writing weaknesses were and how to fix them. It grew me as a writer and a person.

The failure I experienced in that project pointed out where I needed to grow for my next project—and so far, I have!  That’s the power of critique. So don’t give into your inner critic when a project gets a rough critique or when someone leaves a bad review on your book. You have a choice to make.

Let it grow you, or give in to your inner critic.

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