The ego boost
Whatever you do, somebody somewhere will love it. Everyone is over the moon to get a critique from that person. If your first critique comes from that person, it's an amazing boost to your self-esteem. Don't let it go to your head! For every one that loves it, there's probably at least one that hates it. Listen to the positives and pay attention to the points your new fan likes best. Keep those in mind for future reference. This critic will come back for more, so maybe send them a thank you.The assassination
That one that really hates what you've done might be the first person to give critique. It's the inverse of the ego boost. For every one that hates your work, there's probably one that loves it. Don't take it personally. Creative work is very subjective, but criticism can be too and it can sting. Revisit your work and see if you can understand where negative criticism comes from. They might have a valid point. Look at the critic's views carefully and do nothing about them until you've had a chance to sleep on it. Once the initial shock wears off, you'll be more objective. You might even begin to thank the critic for helping you see the flaws. You don't need to reply to critics. If you do, don't bite!The rollercoaster
Some critiques will be mixed. These are the most useful ones really. Someone that can highlight the good points of what you've done and outline the bad is a gift from above. The chances are that what they highlight matches the ego boosts and what they outline matches the assassinations. These are useful critiques because they put your feet back on the ground. You're no longer walking on air, but you're not down in the dumps either. Use these critiques to do better in future by evening out the peaks and troughs, ideally on the upper level!The nitpicking
These critiques might seem a lot like an assassination at first. Again, walk away and look again when you're able to be more objective. The nitpicker probably doesn't hate your work. They probably just a few niggles with it. Maybe you've done something that's a pet hate of theirs. The thing with nitpicker critiques is to look at the things they haven't said. They've probably only commented on a very small aspect of your work. Because they're a nitpicker, they would have noticed if anything else was especially wrong. They won't tell you what they liked as such. They might say "I like this, but..." and then give their niggles. Remember the liked it part and take note of the niggles. Everyone has them so they might be worth avoiding in future.The silence
You might put your work out there for critique and find in some cases you're met with a resounding silence. Not to worry. No news is good news, right? Wrong. Think about how you pitched your request for review and remember people are generally very busy. I'm not talking about editors or agents here - they should at least let you know one way or another. I mean your peers. Did you tell them you'd selected them especially? Might they think you've sent it to hundreds of people so they probably don't need to respond? In the case of professionals, if you've heard nothing after a month, chase it up. You should have at least had an acknowledgement. Silence is not a reason to despair. It's a reason to shout louder.There might be other types of critique that you'll receive, but they usually fall within these general areas. Remember at all times that it's your work and you have the right to ignore or act upon criticism as you prefer. Of course, if it's your editor and you ignore their suggestions it could be a deal breaker, but that's when you negotiate! I'll look at how best to react in my next blog on the subject. Meanwhile, don't cry just yet.
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