I get nervous when someone wants to read my work. Yes, I have been doing this for over 30 years and yes, I still get nervous. Every now again that nervousness seems justified because I will come across someone who doesn’t actually enjoy my work and are very verbal about it. For instance, I took a writing job recently writing about rumored car showcases. The articles tout all the rumors about new cars that will be coming out in the next few years. While I am enjoying the assignments I have been saddled with an editor who is very obviously young and likes to use big words to tell me how much he personally doesn’t enjoy my work. This morning he actually wrote the following line in a review of one of the articles I had written that he is rejecting:
“Considering the number of reviews and test drives that are to be found on the internet, a nebulous inaccurate unsubstantial set of words based on an barely intelligible inarticulate collection of dribble posted in November 2013 is not acceptable.”
Seriously….“a nebulous inaccurate unsubstantial set of words”…amazing. I have rubbed this young man the wrong way and I can only ascertain from his need to use words like “nebulous” that he is young and somewhat full of himself. I am trying to not let it bother me….but it does to some degree. Although I could let this assignment go I am now determined to stay in order to see just how many other big words this little guy knows. It’s gone from annoying to amusing for me.
People like this young man however attribute to my nervousness when I submit any type of writing. To some degree it is a good thing because it will forever keep me humble and remind me that there is still work to do on refining one’s craft. On the other hand it does cause me to want a drink after submissions. (I fight that urge) My point is that we, as writers, can’t allow that nervousness that we ALL have to stop us in our tracks. You have to submit and then push on to the next assignment. Take any criticism for what it is, someone’s somewhat educated opinion of your work, use what you can and toss the rest. Use nervousness as a tool to help not hinder.
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