So.
Have you ever been told, “You just need to toughen up?”
Honestly. How many times?
Because me? I’m averaging … a lot.
Sensitivity is frowned upon when it comes to writing. Which is kind of absurd when you think about how fiction writing is inherently emotional. Editing the fiction needs to be a little more brutal, sure. I mean, cold, calculating bitch goddess of editing is what I try to be. I don’t always succeed but that’s fine.
But why is it so bad to be sensitive as a writer?
Many of people I’ve learned under or audited a seminar with have always said it is because you need to toughen up before submissions, so rejection doesn’t cripple you. And they are right: rejections are pretty crippling. Hell, that’s why so many writers have blogs still; the only person who can hurt us is us since we can delete mean comments.
And people can be pretty harsh if you let them go full throttle.
Let me propose though that it isn’t awful to have sensitivity toward your writing though.
What is so bad about saying you care that much about your writing? You should take your sensitivity and apply it to make your book better, I say. Being utterly dead-eyed to rejection can lead to arrogance and you can ignore worthwhile criticism from editors and agents and readers while never making your writing better.
I’d rather cry a little about rejection, read the reasons if there are any, then carry on making my work better, until it can’t be ignored.
Might be worth a shot for you too?