On Taking Advice

Everyone knows that assholes are like opinions, but you can only flush the product of one of them. The other–that ripe, stinky opinion–sticks to you like…well, you know.

Only you know what direction your story is headed, so only you can decide how to build it. If you allow others too much freedom to tell you the “write way” to write your piece, you’re asking for trouble. Working with many fine writers in C.C. (Critique Circle), I’ve noticed a pattern that seems to develop as writers begin receiving critiques for their submitted work:

Critters tend to nit-pick small details and not the larger, more important story-line.

Sometimes, they do this innocently, not meaning to do anything more than fill a critique with words–and look smart doing so. I myself hate this.

Some critters spend so much time away between chapters–critting other works by other authors, or writing, or living life–that when they return, they don’t really have a good feel for where they left off and are too lazy to reread the last chapter to get back into your story. Then they question everything, asking all manner of asinine questions, and report to you on a story that they can barely recall. This is very frustrating. An idle comment, something they mention as a change you should make–that would call for a major rewrite–is formed from a faulty memory. Not cool.

This post really doesn’t have a point, but I just wanted to have a post here on the subject. I might add to this post, or toss in a part II that has a point, . Don’t dwell on an opinion you can’t find merit in, and never, ever, be the guy that gives stupid advice. That makes a person an asshole. And that’s my opinion on that.