I'm an awesome writer. My friends all tell me so.

OK, so why the strangled verse in the previous posts? It’s a comment on the way the internet is working as a means of promoting a writer’s work.

Bias and bad judgement are all too common on online forums and blogs where pieces are put up for anyone to crit. Often when we put work up for critting, especially as beginners, we don’t mean, “Please tell me where I’m going wrong, and how good or bad this is,” we mean, “Please admire my work and tell me that I’m good.” The person doing the crit may be swayed by the need to be nice to the author because if he is not, that author might trash the critter's work when he puts his piece up.

The author will put up a piece to be admired, and when it is, will lap up that admiration, and see it as vindication of the way they write. Never mind that some of these admirers wouldn’t know good writing if it kissed their ass; they’ve said nice things so they are the author’s bestest, bestest fwiend.

What is the motivation behind these honeyed words? Is it to make the writer feel good? Maybe, especially if they want their own work praised in return. Is it to advertise their own blog so that they too can have people visit and likewise massage their writer’s ego in some sort of mutual admiration network? Or maybe it's a genuine, but misguided piece of critting by another beginner... how would you know an experienced critter from a rookie? Or if they are published, is it a means of getting word round about their books? It’s a means, for sure, but I’m not so sure it’s a good means. It’s too akin to spamming. And would you buy a book written by someone who lavishes words like “awesome” where really a stunned, embarrassed silence is more appropriate? Not me, for sure.

Does this mutual admiration network really matter though? Surely the world is so full of wannabe writers who will never make it, that some undue praise is a good thing and will make them happy? Well, I guess it doesn't matter, unless that person is so besotted with their own hyped-up self-worth that they are considering self-publishing, or giving up the day job. The internet is full of virtual wannabe writers like Palm Springs is full of wannabe actors.

The problem with undue praise is it means the writer becomes more hostile to constructive criticism. They may even see it as a personal attack or motivated by professional jealousy; anything, so long as they don’t have to blame their work. We are a touchy enough bunch as it is, writers, and find it hard to accept criticism gracefully. Mostly we sulk for a while before looking at the crit constructively and learning from it. But if we have had our head turned by slavish praise, be it from Mom or from luvvies on the internet, then we would much rather listen to them. It’s natural. But it’s not going to help us improve.

Does this mean we should tell each other in stark terms that our writing sucks? Hell, no. We need to point out the good and suggest ways of improving the bad if we are asked to crit something. But that won’t help the writer whose head has been turned by awesome praise. They won’t listen. Because they know they are a good writer. Mommy said so.