I’ve learned, over the many years I’ve been writing and having my work reviewed, that often, people’s feedback tells just as much about the reviewer as it does the work. Each person sees the story and its characters through their own lenses, interprets them through their own exeriences. Each has their own loves and loathes. There is almost always something in any review that sparks debate between readers — a phrase, a scene, a turn of plot.
The trick lies in how you sort it all out. It’s not just about recognizing each comment’s truth, it’s about recognizing its place within the story’s truth. In the case of my current project, the need for a more apparent and linear plot is straight truth in both cases. As for the rest, that’s going to take a little more sorting. Probably more like a lot.
