It's... essential. It's the same as being given advice for a life issue - listen to it all, and then use the bits which are useful! But more than that, I know I'm not the only person in these parts who finds it easier to believe something negative than something positive in someone's reading, but if you accept critique, you have to accept the good stuff too!
I'm confident enough in my stories generally that I can take a step back and see how someone's opinion fits in with the overall intention of a piece - and whether that opinion needs taking into account. It's easy to forget, when I am surrounded socially by people I think similarly to, and whose tastes are broadly similar to mine, that there are other ways of looking at things, other experiences and politics.
And also, it takes energy and time to offer good critique, annd there's a consideration in the fact that someone is interested enough in a person's work to offer it.
Finally, I *think* I'm good at spotting when people are saying stuff for the sake of saying it - I've been lucky not to see much of that, although it popped up once or twice on the fringes of the Lost fandom.
I'm confident enough in my stories generally that I can take a step back and see how someone's opinion fits in with the overall intention of a piece - and whether that opinion needs taking into account. It's easy to forget, when I am surrounded socially by people I think similarly to, and whose tastes are broadly similar to mine, that there are other ways of looking at things, other experiences and politics.
And also, it takes energy and time to offer good critique, annd there's a consideration in the fact that someone is interested enough in a person's work to offer it.
Finally, I *think* I'm good at spotting when people are saying stuff for the sake of saying it - I've been lucky not to see much of that, although it popped up once or twice on the fringes of the Lost fandom.
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