The Good, The Bad, and The Negative

© by Gerald So | geraldso.blogspot.com | 4:00 A.M.

This week the 7 Criminal Minds bloggers discussed how they deal with bad reviews.

My feeling is, when I submit my work for publication, I voluntarily open it up to everyone who can read. And of course, not everyone is going to like it.

If I were writing just for my satisfaction, I'd write stuff, read it, smile, and put it in a drawer. I write for publication because I want to give others the enjoyment I get from reading. I'll never hear from everyone who enjoys my work, but it's enough to hear from a few. The enjoyment I try to give, the connection I try to make, is personal after all.

And let me distinguish bad reviews from negative reviews. Bad reviews fail to address my work, as bad light bulbs fail to light. Bad reviews are easily spotted and dismissed upon reading, but they unfairly and unfortunately count in a glance at numbers.

Negative reviews, on the other hand, are fair. They genuinely address my work and find it lacking.

Not everyone is going to like what I write. That doesn't stop me from writing.