What You Can Learn from Setbacks
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The writing journey is really a rollercoaster ride with a lot of highs and lows. Everyone experiences the great and the not-so-great moments. No one likes the latter, but there are things you can learn from them.
When something disappointing happens, see what advice you can glean from it. Can you make improvements in something you’re doing?
Allow yourself time to process bad news and to grieve. Sometimes, the news is devastating.
Don’t reply or respond when you are upset or angry. Take some time to process and craft your response.
Rejection Slips - If you’re fortunate enough that the agent or publisher provides you with feedback about the reason your work was not accepted, read it when you’re not emotionally charged. See if you can incorporate the advice to improve for next time.
Bad Reviews - Everyone gets them. You can have hundreds of good reviews, and that one bad one often sends writers into a tailspin. Reviews are nice, but they are mainly for other readers. If you read them, see if there is a nugget of wisdom in the response. If not, ignore it and move on. You will not be everyone’s cup of tea, and you don’t like every book you read. Don’t reply or argue with the reviewer.
Critique Group Feedback - You will get lots of feedback from your critique groups or partners. Read it when you are not emotional. Change what is wrong or what needs to be improved. But you don’t have to make every change that is mentioned. Make sure you’re not losing your voice in the rewrites.
What have you learned from a setback?
