How to Take Criticism That I Don't Need

In this part two on how to take criticism, I will be discussing how I handle unneeded criticism.

The hard part about advice is to know when not to take it. How to determine if the advice I have been given is sound or not often goes like this:

First, I give it a few days.
Taking a step back is ALWAYS a good idea. It helps me not get caught up in the emotions of the moment and really ponder the advice.

Second, I consider the source.
Is the advice from my editor? My sister? My best friend? All of those people could give good (and even great) advice. But the people who are just reading this because I begged them too (aka, my friends) may not be the best book writerly advice givers.

Third, I get a second opinion.
Many times have I had a well meaning beta reader tell me to change something. I didn't think it needed to be altered so I would ask another reader. More often than not when I get to this step I find that my second reader often agrees that nothing should be changed or it shouldn't be changed as drastically as first mentioned.

  Once it has been throughly decided that I do not need the advice, I will delete the comment and never think of it again.

Just kidding.

  I put the thought on the back burner… for now. I have a separate word document for that. I may come back to it later and realize they might have a tiny point. Or it serves the purpose of letting me see my book through different eyes: the eyes of a reader.

  Maybe I will take their advice later, maybe I won't. The point here is not all advice is sound, and therefore, doesn't need listening to. But all criticism has its place. Sometimes that place is in a separate word document.