[When getting feedback as a writer] Don't listen to everything; don't take every suggestion--trust your instincts. Think hard, though, about all the questions asked of you. Are you making your decisions consciously enough? Are there decisions you make subconsciously that turned out to be even better (or worse) than you expected? Don't ever try to make your story into someone else's story[...] That will ruin what you love about your story and so will ruin your story. Part of being in a writing community is learning who is a good reader for your work, and how to incorporate suggestions into your own intentions and process. Also remember that while you might not like a suggestion, the most important thing about a critique might be simply its existence. The point remains that that part of your story tripped up this group of test readers, and if they are reading carefully, you can use that knowledge to find your own solution or even your own problem. Also remember that sometimes making a certain part of a story work isn't about that part of the story, but about an earlier part, or a later part, or the whole thing, or the basic foundation. What is most important is to know that there's still work to do and to be inspired by it.
-Matthew Salesses, Craft in the Real World
