One of the toughest things about writing is getting enough thick skin to accept criticism. Not everyone is gracious about delivering their critiques, and some people can be down right nasty.
A big help to me in this area has been participating in peer reviews. This can be with writers you know or don’t know, or even people you trust who understand what you are writing. Just like your muscles, your must exercise your writing in order to improve.
I ask for a lot of help to improve writing from both peer reviews, friends in the industry, and my husband, who happens to be a great editor. When I know that I’m having to present something to a tough critic, I always let the person know who is helping me so that he can be overly critical of what I’ve done. It is important to get it right, whether you are submitting work to a client, or submitting to a publisher.
Writing exercises take many forms, whether for creative or business. One of the biggest mistakes we can make when writing is to do so in a bubble. Ask for help! After all, wouldn’t you rather have a tough critique from a friend or peer than from a client, or publisher? It’s always much nicer to hear only good things from those who receive our professional submissions!
