Discussion #3

Discussion Topic #3

As a writer, why do you think that reviews have such a powerful impact on the authors who receive them?
Reviews have such a powerful impact on authors because the work the author does is personal to them. It is a part of who they are. It could be a work of fiction filled with fantasy, yet is the culmination of someone's imagination. It could be a true story. It could be an article written from research. No matter the kind of writing, the length, the topic, it is work done by a person. As a person, an author is impacted by what others see in their work. If it is a negative review given in the right vein, they do not take offense. They go back for a rewrite. If it is a negative review given too harshly, it can stop an author in their tracks. Positive reviews are always welcome as long as they are honest. They are encouragement and inspiration to continue on as a writer.

{What would happen to a writer in isolation, who receives neither positive nor critical feedback on their work?

I think it would lead to stagnation. A writer writes to be read. Readers have opinions and authors need those opinions to know and understand what and how to write effectively.

Prisoners often write in solitude to keep from going crazy and to feel they have an identity. They seldom care if the words they write have an impact on anyone else in this senario. There are those inmates who share their work with anyone who will read it for the same reasons listed above.

Anne Frank's Diary comes to mind also. She was not writing for anyone to see, though it was a remarkable work.

In isolation, a writer could compose the most horrific piece of work or the most exceptional ever written. They would have the same effect to the author.