Writer's Fallout Shelter

Them thar's fightin' words.

No. Seriously. Whether or not I like the story, whether I as a reader would voluntarily pick it up on the shelf at my local bookstore and pay money for it, is a subjective thing. I won't argue that. However, whether or not a story works is an objective thing. I'm not really a fan of literary writing; you won't find me perusing the shelves of mainstream fiction at my local Barnes & Nobles, but I can read literary fiction and objectively tell you what works and what doesn't, what elements of fiction writing the author did well and what ones they could have improved on. I can also tell you why.

The thing is many beginning writers look at writing as art. What they don't quite get is that the product we as writers produce may (or may not) be art, but the process by which we get there is craft. As craftsmen, it is important that we know and understand the tools of our trade.

I can nail and glue pieces of wood together to create a box with a lid and it will be functional for storage, but it will never be more than that, but give a carpenter – a craftsman who knows and understands the differences between dovetail joints and tongue and groove and who knows how to use the tools of his trade to create scroll work and to properly cut the pieces of wood so they fit together nearly seamlessly – and he will create a trunk that is both functional and artistic, something that people might want to hand down from generation to generation. Using his craft, the carpenter can create art. The same is true of writers.

However, before we are able to create art, we must understand what the tools of our trade are and how to use them. That's what these threads about 'Universal vs. Personal' and 'Characters & Characterization' and even the 'Themes' thread which evolved into a discussion of symbolism have been about. They're about understanding the different parts of story so we as writers can better use them in our work.

If you truly believe that writing is subjective, that quality is less important than timing, then why ask for critiques of your work?