Thoughts On Reviews, aka An Important Conclusion

I've come to a conclusion. I think it's an important one. No, I know it's an important one.

Recently, The Path of the Sword got a three star review. This may sound strange but, after back to back to back five star reviews, I was distraught. I really was. Why strange, you ask? What's the big deal, you wonder? After all, three stars isn't that bad. It's not like it was a one star. It's not like the reviewer said the book was complete trash and buying it was a waste of money and time. In fact, the reviewer said the writing was good, that I know how to paint a picture. His main beef was that he thought my book was too long, too wordy. So, not a bad review. Not a great review, but not bad.

I got to thinking about what the reviewer said. I started trying to think about how I would incorporate his suggestions into my writing. I wrote a few pages, and I kept asking myself if this fit the bill, if I was in fact writing more efficiently.

It was about this point that I began to realize that I was doubting myself. I was second-guessing every word that I wrote. I agonized over every one of my decisions. When I went back and re-read the last few days of work, I noticed a few of things:

1. I was writing a lot less than usual. About two-thirds less.
2. My writing was flimsy. It had no feel, no voice. It sounded more like a history textbook than a novel.
3. It was no longer true to the story. This, to me, is probably the worst thing that could have happened.

I thought about that for a while and here is where I finally caught a glimpse of my big conclusion. I was no longer writing for myself; I was writing for someone else. I was, in a way, writing by committee. It showed. I was trying to write in a style that was not my own, and it showed. Those pages that I read back weren't even my writing.

What's the answer? Getting reviews is a fact of life for any writer. There will be good ones and there will be bad ones. The trick is to not allow them to dictate how I write.

I write in a particular style. In time, as I gain experience, I'm certain my writing will evolve. Perhaps I'll get better--I definitely hope so; I don't want to stagnate. I want to try new things. I want to see myself grow as a writer.

But that has to happen in its own time. I can't allow someone else to dictate a timeline for me. Otherwise, I'm forcing it, trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

Reviews are what they are. And primarily what they are is for the readers. If a writer takes a review--good or bad--too strongly to heart, the story will suffer for it.

Lesson learned.