Tales from the . . . Crypt? Part 2

Well, I was going to write the nice stuff, but in looking over this particular entry, I didn't really find anything. So I scoured the comments and found some sugar to help me swallow the bitter pill of reality.

Judge A said I had a good hook.
Judge B made me feel better about this chapter. Said I did a good job creating believable characters and that the setting was interesting.
Judge C said I did a good job raising questions that the reader might want answered.

I'm not a stranger to contests. I absorb the positive stuff first, study the negative, and then soak in the positive again. It helps buffer the blow of learning my chapter is not a romance masterpiece. *grinning here*

Like all of you said, this is a subjective business. What is beautiful to one is ugly to another. It's not personal, and yet it so completely is.

Thank you all for your constructive and edifying comments last post. It is hard to take criticism, both in writing and in our personal lives. But the ability to do so can make a world of difference to whether we succeed or not.

And yet, praise is necessary. Have you ever received a compliment that blew you away? That had you grinning for days?

Writing related or no, I'd love to hear about it.

Comments

Sarah said…
I was talking to my dad on the phone yesterday when he said: "You're going to be a famous writer someday...I just know it." Yes, he's my dad, and yes, it's his job to think unrealistic things about me, but at least I'm still smiling about it this morning. :)

Thanks for sharing your contest feedback with the rest of us. If I ever work up the courage to submit anything, I'll return the favor. It should be good for a laugh, at least!
September 27, 2008 at 10:48 AM
Karen Hossink said…
When I receive emails from women who have heard me speak or read my book, I am definitely grinning for days.
In fact, I have created a folder in my email program which I call "Blessings." That's where I store those emails - can't bear to delete them, so I save them for a day when I'm going to need a pick-me-up!
September 27, 2008 at 2:28 PM
Jessica Nelson said…
Hi Sarah,
That's so sweet of your dad! When you submit, definitely gear yourself to laugh. It helps :-)

Hi Karen,
A file labeled Blessings is a wonderful idea!!! I may steal it.

Thanks for stopping by, guys!
September 27, 2008 at 2:30 PM
Susan J. Reinhardt said…
Hi Jessica -

I had an agent tell me I write well. Unfortunately, the genre was not one she represented. Still, it's encouraging when someone compliments your work.

Blessings,
Susan :)
September 27, 2008 at 3:40 PM
Anonymous said…
Hey Jessie~

One of my favorite all time compliments came while taking a writing class.

The second week we read what the teacher had assigned us to write the week before (the first chapter of a new novel we hadn't yet started).

A teenage girl who was also a student came up to me after we read that night and said that reading my stuff was like watching a movie unfold in her mind.

It meant so much to me that I reached her, knowing how the youth of our generation have cast aside reading in lieu of computer and high-tech entertainment. It was SO encouraging to know that I might be able to touch people on that more visual plane, even with just my words. :-)
September 28, 2008 at 12:16 AM
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