Am I Ready to Be Criticized?

Yesterday, I blogged about needing to fail, because I haven't stretched myself as a blogger the way I did in my very first blogging challenge four years ago.

The WordCount Blogathon (ancestor of the challenge I am in this month) used to give prizes for blogging all thirty days.  The second year I participated, I won a writing critique.  I never used it.

I wasn't ready.

A couple of my readers yesterday (thank you!) suggested I join Internet writing groups or critique groups.  This time, I didn't react in fear.  Perhaps I am ready.  Well, nearly ready.

It's taken me since 2011 to realize that people critiquing your work is people critiquing your work, not people telling you that you, as a person, are a worthless person.  My writing has always been tied up with my self worth.  That will always be true, but I must learn to separate the two somewhat.

I've seen some horrible, horrible attacks on writers on sites such as Good Reads masquerading as book reviews.  I know that is part of the territory.  The Internet attracts trolls, just as it attracts the wonderful bloggers and readers of my blogs.

I'm going to take the advise not to blog a book, at least at this time.

I don't know if this Blogathon is going to have a Haiku Day, or any other kind of day, so I will make up my own event.  Later this month, I am thinking of trying my hand at Five Sentence fiction, and seeing what happens.   I might even try a writing prompt.  All for fun and growth.

I will do my book writing offline, for Camp NaNoWriMo in July, and let you know my progress.

For tomorrow, there is my Spring Things Wednesday feature.  So much spring, so little time!   So, enough writing about writing.

Thank you, all who have commented recently.