The loudest critics seem to be those who have never excelled in any measure at the thing it is they are criticizing. If the critics were to get up and do it themselves, they would not be so quick to run their mouths. Any achievement can be undermined by those who have not achieved. Be…
Silence of a Critic, part 2
Acknowledge that there are reasons for criticism, in fact too many to list. For starters, don’t give others a reason to criticize you. When I started writing fictional works, I was excited by the creativity of it all. So much freedom to do whatever I wanted to in a story. The feeling of infatuation grew…
Silence of a Critic, part 1
When I worked in the construction industry, one of my first projects was a building renovation. I was given instructions and then a sledgehammer. I beat the mess out of that place. I was eighteen years old at the time, and I thought to myself, people get paid for this? Awesome! I proceeded to learn…
A Life of Excellence, part 3
I’ve been writing off and on for most of my life, although most written works were short. In college, I had to take an English literature class, which further ignited my sense of wonder in writing. I started to toy around with the idea, but nothing ever amounted to it. Several more years passed when…