Claire offered an insightful response about dealing with the self doubt generated by people who trash your writing. Read Claire's response below:
'No. 2 is the tip most relevent to me:
“If you write . . . someone will try to make you feel lousy about it . . .” writes King. And they do. It's really important to be strong in yourself. This comes by putting yourself outside your comfort zone. Getting rid of the tv and developing a positive and assertive attitude. I am astounded on a weekly basis that people who present themselves as friends offer outcomes that are negative for my writing. “Optimism is a perfectly legitimate response to failure” writes King. I agree 100%. I don't regard 'failure' as failure. To maintain this positive and constructive attitude takes a lot of awareness and a lot of effort, physical as well as mental and emotional. I highly recommend it. The positive outcomes for all your hard work maintaining a positive attitude pay multiple dividends. Bravo!'
I hope to write up an article on how to deal with criticism soon. Look out for it.
Again, congratulations, Claire. I hope you enjoy the book and find it helpful with your writing. Please email me to claim your prize.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the competition.