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Our topic for today: Good reviews, we love them! Bad reviews, we hate them…but some of them are helpful. What was your favorite negative review?
While researching for today’s blog, I went back and looked at my reviews. The good news is, I don’t have any reviews I would call bad. The bad news, I don’t have all that many reviews. So I have to take a bit of license with today’s topic.
The one time that really stands out to me as a negative comment influencing me is quite a few years ago while writing Son of Thunder. I submitted the first 2,500 words of my unfinished manuscript to a regional romance writers contest expecting glowing comments and (of course) a first place prize.
I didn’t even place. What I got instead were judges comments on how the start of my novel wasn’t very good. One judge in particular really took me to task on Meghan, my heroine, stating that she was TSTL.
I had to Google that: Too Stupid To Live
Whoa! Was she that bad?
I read over the chapter and yeah, that judge had it right. She was wimpy and two-dimensional, needing to be saved by the hero a number of times in only the first few pages. That one comment made me go back and completely re-imagine my heroine. Meghan became a strong, kick-ass hero in her own right, and a ton more fun to write. Since then this one little comment has colored the creation of all my heroines. No more TSTL for me.
So, what has Leslie Hachtel learned from her negative reviews? (Does she really have any?) Find out by following this link: http://lesliehachtelwriter.wordpress.com
And be sure to check out Leslie’s wonderful novel, The Defiant Bride: 
A Writer's Haven 
Ouch, that was harsh, but I suppose it was a lesson learned. I judge contests for my RWA chapter and refrain from make smart a** comments no matter how bad I think a MS is. That’s a judge’s ego talking instead offering constructive criticism. Glad you rose to the challenge and published Son of Thunder!
It was a good lesson. I guess sometimes you need to be knocked down a bit.
I’m really impressed that you took the criticism and used it to improve your writing, not just for that character but in general. BTW, I use a lot of acronyms, and I was thrown by TSTL at first. TTYL!
I really loved Meghan so much more after that. The judge was anonymous, but if I’d known who she was I would have thanked her.
You are so kind to me.
And your heroine…TSTL? Really?
You, my lady, are an inspiration. ♥
And yeah, she really was TSTL. But no longer…