A writer's biggest critic is a bathroom mirror image. Learning to cope with a constantly available opinion is an unending entanglement. My mirrored image passions for challenge. It's the voice that calmly says, "Do it again. Nope. Do it again. Now again and again."
I've given the critic a special place to air my errors. 5:40 AM before the sun rises. Inside daily journal scratches that voice of potential injury is given space to question, offer leadership and or step away while screaming, "Idiot!"
I call him The Interviewer. Anything goes but nothing can be brought up or arrive unexpectedly during any other time of the day or night. If in doubt or buried in writer's fear... I make it clear that the bathroom mirror image means nothing to me until tomorrow morning. Let's meet before the sunrise and share in the value of respect for each other's observation tower.
In putting together my current book Scrambled Eggs the Interviewer has played a tremendous role in keeping me focused on reality versus fantasy. As writer's we tend to lean hard on designing scenes that could or might happen. My goal in this book is to gift the reader with every reason to believe it is happening right now. Trusting the critic is a dangerous step. Loving the mirrored image isn't conceit or having too much confidence. In the end those printing books or digitally embracing e-books will have the final say and the last thing either of us want to face are both of our tails stuck between our legs.
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