Every parent should think their kid is the best. Kids need to feel like they are the center of our worlds and know they are important to us. But there is such a thing as too much adoration...when you can't see their flaws. And everyone has flaws.
I have two points to this post...so let's first look at real babies.
I think parents should think their kid is the cutest, smartest, most amazing being on the planet. But what happens when they think their every move is golden and they can do no wrong? I'm sure we've all experienced a parent like this: their kid is never the one to start fights on the playground, or if something gets broken, it wasn't their kid that did it. What they end up with is a kid, and someday an adult, who has a superiority complex and a feeling of entitlement. They never learn to take responsibility for their mistakes and will probably blame them on others. They never learn to play nice.
Now let's look at writer's babies....our manuscripts.
Just like real babies, we adore our manuscripts. They are the most fantastic stories we've ever read. We should have love for our words. But also just like real babies, if we can't see the flaws, we're in for a heap of trouble. No manuscript is perfect...ever. We need to be able to hand it off and take the critique seriously. If you approach your writing career like those snobby moms I talked about above, you won't get very far in this business.
Posts
Ah, so true. It's hard to send our babies out into the world. So hard. I think it's wonderful how many you've put out there, and I wish you the best of luck in loving them for what they are, flaws and all. It's a hard thing, but rewarding. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat points. You have to be open to criticism and be able to accept it!
ReplyDelete