Rivals: A Critic’s Final Form

Fake it until you make it. What a load of crap.

But our world is rife with cliches, some of them more damaging than others. Like many, some well meaning soul said this with good intentions, planning to part a nugget of wisdom, yet only rendering fool’s gold. A lot of cliches are like that—good intentions. But we all know what the road to hell is paved with, don’t we?

So, how does this stack up next to leaving a good first impression? I don’t mean this to seem discouraging or antagonistic. Quite the opposite, actually. I’d just rather see your efforts used more constructively. And that energy is best served in developing your craft.

I learned very early on that the absolute worst criticism you can get is from your family and friends. But this is the first place you’re going to go! I mean, why not? The thing is…that well meaning advice and guidance is likely setting you up for failure. It’s not intentional. It’s just they’re encouraging you and really want to see you succeed.

This actually relates to my previous article about hooks, so be sure to check that out if you haven’t. You can find it here. Hooks are what writers use in order to properly get a reader to care about the author’s story. There’s simply too much competing for a reader’s attention and they simply can’t read everything. So, you’re writing needs to carry weight. It needs to be meaningful and it’s a lot like respect…something earned and not given. And that’s why family and friends are terrible here. It’s because they already care. That’s not a bad thing, it just doesn’t help you reach whatever ‘that next level’ is for you.

I recently finished Your Lie in April. I’ve watched that anime around four or so times now and it is absolutely phenomenal. The first time I watched it, I was blown away by the music and story, each successive time making me appreciate some additional aspect of its story telling. I should caution you though. This show will destroy you. But if you’re a masochist and fancy having your heart plucked out, only to then be batted back and forth across a net between the narration and music score…well, have at it!

Each time I’ve seen this, I’ve fallen in love with storytelling just a little bit more and this iteration showed me parallels that I had yet to see. One of the most prominent was the impact it’s had on my writing. I’ve always been drawn to character development and intra-character relationships and this show beautifully illustrates interconnecting strands amongst the whole cast.

Some of the storytelling hit a little close to home in its story presented and I wanted to share one of them. You may not catch it on the first play though, but there is a remarkable depiction of competitors and rival relationships and how they uplift one another. Sure, you can reach higher goals when your pursuit is in honor of another, but there is something unparalleled in competing and attempting to surpass a rival. And this is something that family and friends just can’t give you.

So if you want to go further, faster, harder, or higher…seek rivals.

“The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Seek rivals and let them be your critics. They’re who you want to beat, right? So, figure out what they do, how they do it, and how you can emulate it or make it better. Some say this is an ‘imitation is the best form of flattery’ kind of deal, but I think they’re not seeing the whole picture. If you get your own work critiqued, that advice will only help you improve what you’re already doing. But if you learn how a rival writer is doing a thing, that can transform your writing in ways that individual criticism never could!

To be clear, I’m not referring to copying another’s writing style. As an example, I was attending a writing group where everyone always praised a fellow writer’s dialogue. It got to a point where it was noticeable, so I started perusing her work to see what the draw for everyone was. And you know what? I figured it out! And working it into my own writing vaulted my skill level far above and beyond where it was previously.

So, do this. Chances are, your rivals have an audience and that audience is after something in your rival. If you are able to find what the audience is looking for, they could become your audience as well! In the end, an audience wants to find what they’re looking for, so it’s in your best interest to help them find it. Why not be the place that they do?

Who knows, maybe you and I will can be rivals someday!