Constructive Verses Destructive

As writers, we all get criticism and reviews. Hopefully, these are constructive verses destructive but we have to take the good with the bad. What's the difference?

Constructive is when one describes what may be missing, should be altered, or suggests changes in a tactful way. For example: If the sentence structures are incorrect, constructive criticism would be to point out how they are incorrect and suggest a way to reword or fix the issue.

Destructive is when someone slams the writing without offering any why, how, or suggestions to fix the issue. It comes across as personal. It's as if the reviewer suddenly forgets that there's actually a person on the other end of the computer. For example: If the sentence structure is incorrect, destructive criticism would be to tell the creative soul to stop writing now and find a different profession. This does nothing but crush.

Within the writing field, it's easy to say 'just be blunt' but we must consider that every day is not going to produce pearls of wisdom or diamonds (even if their in the rough). Sometimes creativity takes time to emerge.

I've reviewed plenty of writing and read some posts that looked like they were written through someone's phone while they were horseback riding (not good). If offering feedback, look at the main theme along with the writing. Sometimes, the theme is great. Don't hesitate to let the writer know that their content has promise before tactfully explaining that the structure needs work.

If the content is all over the place, offer suggestions on how to pull it together. It could be that too many characters overtake the plot. Or the plot has holes, isn't believable, or is too dark. Whatever the case, remember there's a person at that keyboard who is attempting to relay an emotional message through their writing.

Barring The Wicked

New on Amazon (under 10K short story: Barring The Wicked). Along with this, I have a series of short stories (dark & twisted erotica) on Erotic Aria titled Forbidden Pleasures which I hope to have released soon.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E5UMJZA

Have you ever been hurt so deeply that you ran into another’s arms only to discover they offered no shelter? I have. My name is Zoey Peterson. After Trent Black’s promises to never hurt me ended when he was imprisoned for burglary, I ran to hide. Not only did Trent hurt me but he also used my brother as a get-away driver. I lost a slice of time with the only family that remained because of Trent.

They claimed innocence while I tried to ignore society’s judgment. I was proud and in serious denial. I let pain rule my actions. When my brother called to tell me he was out, I had no clue that my future was about to get overhauled. I quickly discovered that my attempt at barring the wicked from my life had allowed another evil to enter. Thankfully, Trent was not only talented and charismatic but had never forgotten me.

Happy Writing

Within college, I sank into creating essays, research papers, powerpoint presentations (you get the point) before my level of creativity roared to life and demanded that I pay attention. That was halfway through a Masters degree.

Since putting off unleashing that beast, I slammed out three versions of a trilogy (editing process turned out to be a bitch) before I did a face-palm and switched to another idea. That was a year ago. Another novel and more short stories that I can count later, I have finally released my first short to Amazon.

Why did I wait? I'm a perfectionist. I wanted to hone my craft (writing, editing, re-writing, editing...you get it) before I threw myself on the mercy of the wolves. Okay...let's back up a minute.

Before I did this, I launched into freelance creative writing to get a taste of what it was like and see what was out there. I've made money (and continue to do so) but it's definitely not a get-rich-quick type of thing. The industry is so flooded with low-paying jobs that it's difficult to find lucrative pay. I type extremely fast, am highly imaginative, and devour new information.

So...I'm off--finally emerging under my own steam. I don't expect to get rich but will be happy with whatever my craft produces. Why? Because I love writing, need to create, and cannot stop the stream of prose filtering through my mind.

If you're a similar writer, do yourself a favor. Write because you love to create and enjoy leading someone on a journey outside themselves. Don't slap the keyboard because you can string a sentence together and think you'll make money. There's already enough of those out there...

https://www.amazon.com/author/bsdolphin

Happy writing! :)