The Zen of Accepting Bad Reviews

by MichelleRae

We’re excited to welcome Carol Riggs, author of THE LYING PLANET, to the blog today to discuss the value in accepting negative reviews.

“Reading reviews can be eye-opening, a constructive learning experience for some (warning: not all) authors. If I choose to, I can incorporate any relevant feedback I happen to come across.”

Reviews: The Danger Zone.

Before my debut book, The Body Institute, was about to release in September of 2015, I vowed never to read the reviews about my “baby.” I figured the last thing I needed was other people’s feedback at that late point, and I knew I’d obsess over the negative reviews instead of the positive ones. That was just the way I was wired as a perfectionist, fussing over things that weren’t “perfect” about myself and my creations. Many wise, already-published authors advised against looking at reviews. They cautioned that negative reviews could burn a hole in a writer’s psyche for weeks, months—even years. This negativity could derail future writing and cripple creativity, because doubts would lodge in the brain about one’s supposed lack of skill. I totally saw how that was possible.

Sidling up and sniffing the danger. But then the ARCs went out for my debut, and advanced reviews started coming in on Goodreads. I had to look. My friends—even strangers—gave me great reviews. I floated on the high. This was fun! And when some negative reviews came in with 1-star and 2-star ratings, I dared to take at peek. After all, my “skin” was pretty thick, since I had extensive experience with critique partner feedback as well as a long submission process before I found my publisher, in which one editor would love one thing and dislike another, while another editor loved and disliked exactly the opposite thing. Reading reviews was pretty much the same experience, I figured.

Did the low-starred reviews still sting? Yes, indeed. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how some readers felt so adamantly negative. I anguished when reviewers condemned the book for a simple misunderstanding (or sloppy reading) or for some random thing no one else had a problem with. It was puzzling, agonizing, and morbidly fascinating all at the same time.

“One reviewer said the book was “fast-paced” while another said it “dragged.” Which one was right?”

Dabbling in the danger. It went downhill from there.

A cat’s curiosity gripped me. I kept reading the reviews: the good, the bad, and the ugly. On one hand, I saw my writing described as “delectable” while another reviewer said: “The. Writing. Was. Horrible.” One reviewer said the book was “fast-paced” while another said it “dragged.” Which one was right? I tossed those contradictory comments around in my mind for a while, until I finally decided this: It really doesn’t matter. Authors can’t please everyone, and it’s all subjective. I’d known that in my head, but I began to experience it in full force.

It helped immensely to look up the first Harry Potter book on Goodreads and see that JK Rowling had more than 64,000 one-star reviews. Whoa! That’s a staggering number of dislikes and negativity, even when compared to her nearly 2,539,000 five-star reviews for balance. I reminded myself I was in good company. The good reviews helped even out the negative ones; the praise of the higher-starred reviews helped soothe my ruffled writer ego.

Going in neck-deep. The reviews for my debut kept rolling in, and periodically, I would hop online and read them…I actually saved most of them in a Word document so they’d all be in one place (will I ever read them again? eh, probably not). In July 2016, I published Bottled, my YA fantasy. Reading those reviews was a lot easier on my toughened, now-more-relaxed psyche. When a low rating would pop up, I was like, “Oh look—there’s my first 2-star review.” While one person couldn’t bear to finish the book, others raved and wanted a sequel. It was so subjective!

“So, after three published books, I’ve concluded readers have incredibly different tastes, and the best thing I can do is accept that subjectivity.”

Close on the heels of that summer release, in September 2016 The Lying Planet came out, and I got an amusing range of reactions there too: is the concept unique and creative, or is it cliché science fiction, derivative of books like Divergent and The Giver? (There’s a Testing in it, so that bit is admittedly similar.) People’s tastes were so varied.

I’m quite Zen with it. So, after three published books, I’ve concluded readers have incredibly different tastes, and the best thing I can do is accept that subjectivity. For me, reading reviews also was beneficial in that I saw some comments cropping up repeatedly, and I analyzed whether or not I thought they were valid. Just like any other feedback from agents or editors or critique partners, I had to trust my gut. Be objective. Did the criticism strike a chord and feel true? Did I need to tighten up the pacing of my new novels, or work more on rounding out my secondary characters? Yes, maybe I did. I don’t believe authors should be chameleons who change their writing to please the critics, but reading reviews can be eye-opening, a constructive learning experience for some (warning: not all) authors. If I choose to, I can incorporate any relevant feedback I happen to come across.

“My new goal now is to go back to my writer cave and write more books, improving my craft and doing the best I possibly can. I treasure the readers who do connect with my writing. My writing isn’t for everyone—and it doesn’t have to be. In the end, as long as people are reading and enjoying my book; those are the ones I’m writing for. My true fans.”

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Lying Planet
by Carol Riggs
Paperback
Entangled Teen
Released 9/19/2016

Promise City. That’s the colony I’ve been aiming for all my life on the planet Liberty. The only thing standing in my way? The Machine. On my eighteenth birthday, this mysterious, octopus-like device will scan my brain and Test my deeds. Good thing I’ve been focusing on being Jay Lawton, hard worker and rule follower, my whole life. Freedom is just beyond my fingertips.

Or so I thought. Two weeks before my Testing with the Machine, I’ve stumbled upon a new reality. The truth. In a single sleepless night, everything I thought I knew about the adults in our colony changes. And the only one who’s totally on my side is the clever, beautiful rebel, Peyton. Together we have to convince the others to sabotage their Testings before it’s too late.

Before the ceremonies are over and the hunting begins.

View The Lying Planet on Goodreads
Purchase The Lying Planet at Amazon
Purchase The Lying Planet at Indiebound

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carol Riggs is an author of young adult fiction who lives in the beautiful green state of Oregon, USA. Her books include her sci-fi debut, The Body Institute, as well as her fantasy, Bottled, and her recently released sci-fi, The Lying Planet.

She enjoys reading, drawing and painting, writing conferences, walking with her husband, and enjoying music and dance of all kinds. You will usually find her in her writing cave, surrounded by her dragon collection and the characters in her head.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

MichelleRae

Posted: Dec 7, 2016

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: WOW Wednesday | Writing Inspiration

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p>
<p>Your main character needs to be:<br />
• Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br />
• Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br />
• Active enough to drive the story<br />
• Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p>
<p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />

The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p>
<p>But your theme needs to be:<br />
• Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br />
• Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br />
• Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br />
• Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p>
<p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />

The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p>
<p>In general, your plot should:<br />
• Hook readers fast<br />
• Build tension that a child can follow<br />
• Create page turns that feel natural<br />
• Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p>
<p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.

The Arms of your story are the side characters.

The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p>
<p>Your setting should:<br />
• Make your character's world feel real<br />
• Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br />
• Connect different scenes and moments organically<br />
• Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p>
<p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black.

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