What writer doesn’t like to receive praise for his or her work? Even when you don’t agree with the person who is giving you props, you have to smile a little bit when someone sees value or talent in the creative efforts that you are putting forth. And if you take it with a grain of salt, this praise can be really inspiring. It may even make your work better.
Praise inspires me as a writer in the following ways:
- It makes me feel like continuing to work. I’d probably write without any recognition at all but getting that praise gives me an added boost of energy to sit down and do the writing.
- It points me in the right direction. I can often tell from praise whether something is worth following up on or whether I should let a topic go. Of course, sometimes my own creative impulses will drive these decisions but that input can inspire me to go further with a topic that I may have dropped otherwise.
- It challenges me to maintain a high standard. When someone has praised your work, you know that they are reading it. This inspires me to keep writing with an audience in mind. When it starts to feel like no one is paying attention anyway, we sometimes let our writing slip. That praise can bring your focus back to finetuning your writing.
And of course, it’s just a pleasant feeling to be acknowledged for your work. Go praise one of your favorite writers today; perhaps they’ll be inspired to write something magical.
Question of the Day: How does praise inspire or hinder your writing?
[Tags] writing, praise, acknolwedgment, reward, work [/Tags]
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