Well, as you can tell from my other post, I’m not having much of a day. Discovered another review of my story, Retribution, and this one is harsh.
I tell new writers all the time to have thick skin– that it’s very important in this business. I’ve been told bad things about my writing in the past. I don’t know a writer who hasn’t. I’ve also won a bunch of writing awards and even published here and there. I’ve been told excellent things about my writing.
A very close friend of mine once said, “I just don’t want my work to be mediocre.” She and I have the same feelings. (Her writing is anything but, btw) I want to write fabulous stuff that wows people. What writer doesn’t?
Retribution was my version of a sort of contemporary Poe introspective piece. I knew it was heavy on descriptive passages– did it that way on purpose. I still don’t think the story sucks. And that’s unusual for me– my writing is hardly ever good enough for me. Remember that whole perfectionist thing I talked about? But this kind of reaction can still sting…
“Following “Beauty Is,” we have a humorous interview with horror author Graham Masterton and an overview of recent horror/splatter video games, but I’m not at liberty to mention these. Therefore I will regretfully move on to “Retribution” by Rinda Elliott. “Retribution” has an intriguing premise—a pathological criminal finds himself bothered by icky emotions and [shudder] conscience—but does not run with it. Instead, the short story contains mostly summarized chunks of the criminal’s sociopathic past and his stirrings of feeling. “Retribution” falls flat because it tells, rather than shows.”
The really amusing part of this was I originally did plan to “run” with that story– it was supposed to be longer but I just liked the way it first came out. Another unusual thing for me.
Ah well, on to the next challenge.