So I've submitted 2 stories to the Helix and one of them, Nostrum, was accepted. I was a bit surprised because 1) I submitted 10 days late and 2) my cousin and fellow writer Chris, with whom I often confide on writing matters, had called the other story "brilliant" and Nostrum "terrible."
I had preferred Nostrum myself but I'm also aware of a bias I have of favoring my most recent piece, which is a problem I suspect a lot of writers have. Because of that I listen closely to outside opinion, especially from my cousin. I'm trying to stop a bad habit of rank-ordering my work because I've really started to realize that it's more about personal preference than anything else assuming the quality of the stories is similar.
Anyone else have these kinds of issues? I find grading my own writing is exceedingly difficult...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This should not discourage you from submitting the piece that you like best, to future publications. Send it into the next "Helix," or maybe even "The New Yorker."
ReplyDeleteWriting is like art: it can only be interpreted in consideration of the context that a reader brings to the piece.