Quote:
Originally Posted by Hitch
[...] I want to caveat what I'm about to say with this: I don't know GMW, nor his/her writings, etc., so what I'm about to say is NOT directed at/to him/her:
I'd say that unfortunately, this idea/attitude: "I'm not that sort of person" about critique groups is all too prevalent. Now, GMW may well be the sort of person for whom this really isn't a fit--lots of writers have been solitary creatures--but for many, this mindset or attitude is really masking a serious reluctance to deal with criticism. I've had people tell me, outright, on the KDP forums, that they don't use critique groups because they're "mean." They'll sit there, and get horrific reviews on Amazon, but somehow--I guess because it's a layer removed--that's okay. Myself, I'd rather burn with embarrassment at a bad critique in semi-private, than be torn to shreds on Amazon for writing dreck. [...]
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I have absolutely no disagreement with anything you've written.
(I'm a "him", btw, not that it matters.)
My situation, my "not that sort of person", isn't related to the criticism aspect. Like you say, I'd rather be criticised/embarrassed in a small group than have my name as an author ruined forever on Amazon.
In my case it's just that I've never been a very good team player (which is probably why I've been self-employed for most of my working life, and I can tell you I'm not even a very good boss
). BUT, and it is a big BUT, missing out on the benefits of work groups etc., means finding other ways to achieve the same ends. This applies just as much to the work that pays my wages as it does to my writing. So I've never seen it as being able to do without them, it's always been a matter of finding alternatives that I can work with.