Tag: writing-tips
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This mini-blog is about literary reviews from a writer’s perspective.
I never read reviews of my work. There are two main reasons.
1) It can have an adverse effect on a writer’s mind. I have read instances where writers have allowed bad reviews to affect their emotional and mental well being. Writers have agonized over them, felt sick, questioned their own ability, and, as a result of this reduced level of confidence, saw a reduction in their output of work. Some have quit. I won’t put myself in that position. I won’t allow it to change my approach, it won’t affect my confidence or impede my ability to write with confidence, or to be constantly second guessing myself. I do enough of that without anyone else’s help, thank you.
Two: Reviews are subjective. One person may praise a book and give it five stars, while another trashes the book and gives it one or two stars. In the end it boils down to personal preference or an individual reader’s experience and opinion. That’s what a review is: one person’s opinion. So, why allow someone’s opinion to affect whether or not you write, how you will write, and with what level of confidence you will write?
Let me tell a quick story. There was once an author (actually, more than one) who engaged a reviewer in a confrontational way. Things got ugly. You can guess the rest. There was one author (who shall remain nameless) whose diatribe against a reviewer went viral, yes, viral. Things became very ugly. She used the reviewer’s name to post to an online forum in her very public rebuke. The result was her publisher severed ties with her shortly after her book was published. True story.
Of course, it is entirely up to the individual author whether or not they wish to read their reviews. I will not, and I recommend other authors do not. Look at it as a consumer’s tool to review and rate a product. It can be a book, an appliance, an electronic device, or a service. I see it as their domain. I have no business in it, and under no circumstances would I engage a reviewer, good, bad, or indifferent. I see it as an intrusion of their space. They should be able to rate a product without being confronted by an irate author who, because of a bruised ego, feels justified in lashing out at someone over an opinion, which said person is entitled to.
My advice to big headed, “everybody should love me and how dare do they not?” Authors: Get over yourself. Just because you have a certain level of talent, maybe a talent the person next to you doesn’t have, doesn’t mean the reading public owes you any special loyalty or praise. In fact, they owe you nothing. They bought your book, read it, and so have every right to review and rate it however they wish. Get off the high horse. You’re one of hundreds of thousands of authors trying to carve out a niche, maybe earn a living working at the craft they love.
Well, that’s all I have to say on the subject today. As always, thank you for reading. Have a great day and an even better week.
Ray
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I haven’t written a mini-blog in quite a while, but there’s a topic I’ve wanted to write about for a while now, and that is what makes a “strong, female character?” Since two of the three main characters in the series I’m writing are women, I’ve had a lot of practice with the topic. I thought I’d share a few thoughts with people.
If you go by Hollywood standards, there is a growing trend that a strong female character is a cool, if not not cold, women whose primary emotions seem to be anger, hatred, rage, and other negative emotions. They are often depicted as physically strong, man-hating killing machines out to right wrongs, avenge past grievances, etc. In short, they are shallow, one dimensional characters with no depth. Any backstory usually goes like this: character had a terrible upbringing, or had a traumatic childhood event that haunts them to this day; leaving them angry, bitter, untrusting, slow to make friends, awkward, etc…How interesting. Or, not.
The trend (And, much to my horror) has continued to grow to the point where many female authors and playwriters are expanding on it, jumping on the bandwagon, overcompensating for too may generations of damsels in distress or weak, feeble creatures who can’t make a decision or protect themselves without a brave man at their side. I get that. I do. And no one who reads my work will ever be able to accuse me of writing that sort of rubbish, either. As a father and grandfather of girls, I have always taught that the fairer sex can be just as strong, just as resilient, make decisions on their own, be anything they want to be if they work hard, and learn to protect themselves. I want them to be independent, demand respect, and not settle for anything less.
But Hollywood started this nonsense of creating these “strong female characters” toxic, angry, vengeful, man-hating killing machines. Sorry, these characters are no more believable or less insulting to women than the delicate, feeble, damsels in distress that can’t make a decision for themselves or feel safe without a man. And, sadly, many young (mostly female) writers have bought into it, and bookstores and plays are now filled with this nauseating rubbish.
When writing a strong female character, I take the same approach as I do when writing a male character. Who are they? What is their want / need / goal? How far are they willing to go in order to get it? They need traits that make them relatable and realistic, such as: strengths (I don’t mean physical) weaknesses (that’s not a bad thing; it’s a human thing) flaws, obstacles, moments of triumph, moments of failure, courage, fears, and well, you get the idea. You need to create a whole person, with depth and fullness of character…three dimensional, not one dimensional. Only then do you have a true, relatable, “strong female character.”
So, that’s all I have to say today. Feel free to comment below, share your thoughts, give it a like, or subscribe. Follow me. I can also be found on Facebook and X. Thank you for reading! I plan on more miniblogs in the days ahead.
Ray
Ray Rogers, Novelist 