Sunday Quote: Wallach on Critics as Hangmen

“Having the critics praise you is like having the hangman say you've got a pretty neck”
- Eli Wallach

While digging up epigraphs for a book I'm writing (working title: Hangman's Bayou), I came across this fabulous quote and immediately grokked it. Not that I don't love praise. I wag like a whipped puppy. But there's a huge danger in assigning any one critic, whether it be a reviewer, judge, agent, editor, or even a reader, too much importance.

If you allow others to be the only worthwhile judges of your work, you give away your power, your own sense of what resonates. And you risk falling victim to any negative word that comes your way.

I learned a lot about this while working with one particular agent. At my request (masochist that I am), I asked her to send me copies of rejections, but she would only send them in batches. When I put three to five together, I could see the reasons stated for the rejections (sometimes on work that ultimately sold to an editor who loved it, was well reviewed, and later won awards) were almost always contradictory. If I'd received each rejection right away, I might've been tempted to keep going back and revising -- likely eviscerating the raw story magic that eventually found its audience.

The best policy is to take the good and bad with a grain of salt. Remember it's not your manuscript's job to please every audience, but to find its particular fans. If you must read your reviews (I admit, I have to) try looking for a preponderance of opinion about your strengths and/or weaknesses rather than paying too much attention to the individual judgment.

So how do you handle good reviews and cope with bad ones?

The Good, the Bad, and the Subjective

It's so tempting to believe rejections, to come to the conclusion that the powers that be are right. After all, it's hard to be objective regarding your own work, and there are always nagging little naysayers in the background telling you that "nobody gets published," "agents only represent experienced authors," and "publishers will only look at work by agented authors." That's a lot of negativity free-floating in the atmosphere, and if you're not very careful, it can overwhelm that tiny voice inside you that's saying, "You are really freaking good!"

The next time you're tempted to give over your destiny to the judgment of others, consider this. Newcomer Joanne Rowling's first Harry Potter manuscript was rejected by eight publishers before finally received an offer -- and a less than thrilling advance. Dr. Seuss's first book was rejected twenty-four times. And the list goes on and on.

Think it gets easier after you've first broken down the door? I'm sorry to say that for many authors, every sale's a struggle, and lots of times their editors/publishers are dead wrong about their books' potential commercial appeal.

The only lesson I've found (other than what we all know, that writing's a tough business) is that the writer who works outside the box-like walls of the expected is taking a gamble. Win, and the rewards can be beyond your wildest dreams (Right, Ms. Rowling?). But along the way, you can expect to come across any number of readers who don't get it -- and some of them will be in a position to reject you. Or at least your work.

But only you can decide when it's time to stop submitting a piece and move on to the next project. Only you can stamp out that insistent voice by telling the universe, "This isn't freaking good. It's crap." Just don't be too quick about it, or you make be stamping out the spark that's burning (however slowly) toward the bright future you've been working for so long.

So how do you keep motivated in the face of negativity? Have an inspiring story to share about a time you almost gave up before a success? If so, we'd love to hear it.