Facing Criticism.

Facing criticism and WHY you shouldn't shy away from publishing your work:

A writer grows only when he/she has the ability to take constuctive criticism in his/her stride. A lot of us shy away from publishing our work just because we are afraid of what other people might say. 

"What if they criticize me?"

"What if they make fun of me, my concepts and my ideas?"

"Oh! If that happens I'll never be able to write again!"

Well, let me break it to you. They will. You will be criticized. That's a given.

You cannot please/satisfy everyone. Nor are you here to do that. Some purely make fun of other people when they see them accomplishing the things they themselves couldn't. They do it out of bitterness and that's not constructive criticism. That's toxicity. And you shouldn't lose your sleep over people like that. 

Also, as a writer you should be open to people interpreting your work in their own unique ways. Everyone interprets the same piece of text differently, based on their own life experiences, knowledge and awareness. They might notice certain strains in your work that you yourself couldn't when you were writing it. When you see people criticizing your work always try to know 'WHY'. If they can give you the answer to that and if you think they are somewhat right, that's the kind of criticism you should take seriously and work on. 

Always remember, unless you're criticized, you won't be pushed to know more, to learn more or to write more. Criticism makes you conscious, it makes you more aware. Most importantly, it makes you want to be a better writer, and that's a prerequisite if you want to become a writer whose works are treated with seriousness. That's how you learn, that's how you grow. 

None of us are born into this world already being what we want to be. And especially if you're a writer who is just starting out, feedback, reviews and opinions from readers, are QUINTESSENTIAL. 

DO NOT ASSUME THAT EVERY CRITIC IS A HATER. SOME ARE MERELY TRYING TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH THAT YOU  YOURSELF CANNOT SEE BECAUSE YOU ARE SO CLOSE TO YOUR WORK. (yes, I'm screaming)

If you're not open to constructive criticism, you are just not prepared to grow as a writer. 

#constructivecriticism