Others critiquing you work

Eventually we might allow someone to read our work. My wife reads mine and she says she likes it except my over use of the word "Towards" in my very first written draft. I think so far all my unedited work is crap, I tell her that and she always says, "No your work is GOOD!"(Love talks)

When we allow someone to read our work they might like or dislike it. They may tell you the truth about how they liked it or they might lie to soften the truth. That's why all critique given you have to take it with a grain of salt. It's not wise to immediately change things on the suggestion of someone who read your work. There is only one that know how the story is to be told, that's the writer.

Even the best proofreader in the world may critique something in your story that you should not change. You should be critical, but not only on what's said but also on yourself. Hear them out with an open mind, think about what's being said and make your own conclusions. If you the writer feel they are right, change it, if not, keep it. In this you should be honest with yourself.

My wife told me I used the word "Towards" too many times, she still taunts me every time she hears the word while watching a movie or TV series. She was right about that. Then again she felt I used some curse words too much and it would be better if I toned it down taking into account it would sell better being clean of any nastiness. I told her "NO" there was a reason those words were used. She kept defending her point, I love her dearly but I put my foot down. I told her a writer is the one telling the story and if he feels that in the world he created one character needs to curse, that character will curse.

I could have changed it how she wanted, but then the story would not be the one I had in my mind. There will always be people that will not like your work and some that does. Almost everybody will find a word,sentence, scene, paragraph, chapter they did not like. You can't please everybody and you should not even try to. If you can change one thing to appease someone, you may loose that one thing which could make your story great.

There are exceptions: If an editor asks you to change something you probably should to do so, that is if they bought your book or are about to do so. Taking into consideration that it is not in their interest to gut your work and them having the experience with selling books.