The day after my last novel workshop at Johns Hopkins seems like a good time to link to this piece by Debra Spark about how to sort through critiques and editorial suggestions:
Criticism? Take it or leave? How do you know what to do when someone suggests revisions to your work? You can’t just take everyone’s advice. You can’t try to write a story by committee. If you do, you’ll get the very sort of thing that committee’s produce: deadly prose.
My additional advice: Wait for a while before tackling any revision—until the dust settles, your mind is clear, and any irritation you may have felt has faded.
