I'll admit it. Out of more than 40 reviews, I received one bad one. You can't win the hearts and minds of everyone, but I have to admit, this one hurt.
Here's what got to me. Nothing else phased me until I got to this comment. "I really resented the mawkish sentiment which had me crying so often. That’s a lousy trick to play on your readers."
What? As a writer I'm not allowed to make you cry? I was crying when I wrote it! Robert Frost once said, " No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader."
Did I intend to purposely provide mawkish sentiment and play a lousy trick on my readers. NO! I wanted my readers to feel! In order to get across any message, I needed to make my readers feel the pain of my characters. And to feel my pain.
The purpose of any writing is to elicit a feeling that causes a response. Often, the experiences of the reader block those feelings, causing the resentment expressed in the critic's quote. Have we not all loved and lost? Do we not talk about it or write about it because it causes too much pain? Doesn't that pain have to come out before it can heal?
I would love to know what you think? When you read a book that causes you discomfort or makes you cry or makes you think about something that needs to be discussed, do you resent it?
Action Item
Think about my question and let me know your thoughts.
Til next time!
Here's what got to me. Nothing else phased me until I got to this comment. "I really resented the mawkish sentiment which had me crying so often. That’s a lousy trick to play on your readers."
What? As a writer I'm not allowed to make you cry? I was crying when I wrote it! Robert Frost once said, " No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader."
Did I intend to purposely provide mawkish sentiment and play a lousy trick on my readers. NO! I wanted my readers to feel! In order to get across any message, I needed to make my readers feel the pain of my characters. And to feel my pain.
The purpose of any writing is to elicit a feeling that causes a response. Often, the experiences of the reader block those feelings, causing the resentment expressed in the critic's quote. Have we not all loved and lost? Do we not talk about it or write about it because it causes too much pain? Doesn't that pain have to come out before it can heal?
I would love to know what you think? When you read a book that causes you discomfort or makes you cry or makes you think about something that needs to be discussed, do you resent it?
Action Item
Think about my question and let me know your thoughts.
Til next time!
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