By AK Nevermore

Recently, I had the delightful experience of receiving what was supposed to be carefully considered, helpful feedback on a short story I’d written.

It was not.

Instead of thoughtful questions and suggestions as to how I might improve the piece, my work was lambasted—torn apart like a weasel had gotten into the proverbial chicken coop.

Meh. It happens.

I mean, I wish I could say the experience was a one-off, but if you’ve been in this industry for any length of time, you know what I’m talking about. And it sucks, especially when you’re just starting out. I can safely say that the way this critique was delivered would’ve had me balling up my work and questioning my life choices not so long ago.

But see, here’s the thing. This piece? It’d been through betas. Sent to my editor, and my publisher had picked it up as a series. Yep. That dripping red mess had landed me a multi-book deal.

Was I baffled? Um, yeah, but look, not everyone is going to “get” your work. That whole trash vs. treasure thing, and I’m over it.

Okay, not really.

I’m pretty frickin’ peeved, because, like I said earlier, if I’d received feedback like that before I’d settled into my voice, it would’ve crushed me. And, not for nothing, but chances are they’re out there indiscriminately waving their red pen over other people’s work, too.

And that’s not cool. So, listen up, all you beginning writers, because it’s also not about your manuscript.
Yeah, seriously.

As with anything, the feedback you receive during critique is delivered via the lens of the person giving it. They’re processing your work through a filter of their experiences and expectations. Their interpretation reflects what kind of a reader, or writer, they are.

Which is why established authors have betas and ARC teams. But starting out, you don’t have that. Don’t worry, you will! It just takes time, but until then, here are my recommendations to de-weasel your feedback:

• If you are writing a genre specific story, get genre specific readers. Readers of other genres are fine for basic story structure, but, in my experience, will have a hard time with specifics (i.e. tropes, beats, etc.), and their comments reflect that.
• Take what resonates with you and leave the rest.
• A comment once is a side note, but something flagged multiple times you should probably look at
• If you don’t like what they write, why on earth would you take their advice on how yours should be written?

And finally, a quote from Neil Gaiman that I’ve found to be 100% true:

“You always have to remember, when people tell you that something doesn’t work for them, that they’re right. It doesn’t work for them. And that is incredibly important information. You also have to remember that when people tell you what they think is wrong and how you should fix it, that they’re almost always wrong.”

And remember, critique is a tool. It will cut if not used properly, but with care, it can help to create beautiful things. Whether you’re giving or receiving, nurture the spirit of the piece and please—don’t be a weasel.

AK Nevermore writes sci-fi & dark romantasy. She enjoys operating heavy machinery, freebases coffee, and gives up sarcasm for Lent every year. Unable to ignore the voices in her head, and unwilling to become medicated, she writes full time. Her books explore dark worlds, perversely irreverent and profound, and always entertaining.

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