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by A.C. Williams @ACW_Author

Words have power. Nobody knows this better than authors. Many of us have witnessed first hand the miracle God can do through the right words at the right time. Unfortunately, most all of us have also experienced the damage words can do when they are used as weapons. 

If you have ever received a scathing Amazon review or a needlessly cruel critique from an editor, you know what I’m talking about. It’s not that we want all feedback on our stories to be gumdrops and sunshine, but this vicious spirit of criticism we are seeing among influencers and content creators today goes beyond simple reviews. It can be very difficult to shake off a book review that is actually designed to be a personal attack.

It seems to me that more and more people have less and less positive feedback about books and movies and music. I’ve read a few books this year and watched a few movies that could have used an extra edit. Or two. Or three. 

But no matter how much I dislike a story, no matter how differently I might have written a story, that doesn’t give me the right to personally attack the creator. I may not enjoy what they’ve created, but I don’t know his or her heart. I don’t understand their motivation.

I’m a member of many different online communities who offer feedback and criticism of books and music and movies, and over the last year, no one has had anything positive to say. Even if they like the overall concept of a book, they only seem to focus on what they hated. And it becomes more than just literary criticism. It becomes an opportunity to say cruel things and make uninformed assumptions about the creator’s intentions and personal beliefs. 

The content of book reviews in today’s society seems determined to critique an author’s intent, not just the objective elements of a novel’s craft. Today’s reviewers try to read an author’s mind and interpret the heart behind their story, which often results in putting words in an author’s mouth that were never there to begin with. None of us are mind readers, especially not book reviewers. 

Honest Writing Critique Doesn’t Have Be Mean by @ACW_Author by on @BRMCWC #Writing #Writinglife #BRMCWC Share on X

Obviously I’m not lobbying for the relaxation of our standards. If a movie or a song or a story goes against what is morally and biblically correct, that should be called out. And if it isn’t done well, it’s helpful to teach how it could be done better. What frightens me is the outright antagonism and rage directed at people who disagree. 

That’s not helpful at all. It’s destructive. 

My friends, can we stop being so critical all the time? Can we choose to look for the positive first rather looking for things to tear apart? Can we celebrate with people who are happy rather than pointing out all the ways they could fail? 

Maybe you mean well. Maybe you’re trying to help. But let’s always remember that good discernment doesn’t always equal criticism. Sometimes harsh criticism comes from your own unresolved trauma, emotional baggage, or hurt feelings. 

As followers of Christ, we are called to live with wisdom, to speak truth with love, and that is how we should aim to express our thoughts about books, television, and music. I wish Christians were known for our grace and our love, but I don’t think that’s the case. Oftentimes, Christians seem to be the most critical, the most hard-hearted, and the most judgmental of all reviewers. 

We love to point out books (and by extension, authors) that aren’t Christian enough. We love to blacklist songs that were written by people who don’t measure up to our expectations of what a Christian artist should be. We love to say hurtful things about creatives who aren’t as outspoken as we think they should be. 

Can we take a step back and acknowledge that everyone has a different calling and a different audience? That we all come from different places and have a different purpose in life? Can we try to understand that what doesn’t resonate with us might transform someone else’s life? Can we accept that it’s possible for a story to be both something we don’t like and still worthy of praise?

This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t be honest in our evaluation of the books we read. Some books contain content that needs to be flagged so that others are aware it exists, but there is a vast chasm of difference between noting a book contains content some readers might not like and pointing fingers at an author to declare them unChristlike.

My goal as a book reviewer is always to be honest in my feedback but full of grace. To base my criticism on the objective standards of what works and what doesn’t within our industry rather than aiming my words at what I assume the author was trying to accomplish. To intentionally identify my own emotional struggles before I criticize someone else’s heart.

We can choose to work together to build each other up. Even if we don’t like what someone else is writing, we can still be kind in our responses to each other. We can be intentional about encouragement. We can be gentle in our criticism without compromising our integrity. 

Let us never forget that power of life and death is in our words.

A.C. Williams is a coffee-drinking, sushi-eating, story-telling nerd who loves cats, country living, and all things Japanese. Author of more than 20 books, she keeps her fiction readers laughing with wildly imaginative adventures about samurai superheroes, clumsy church secretaries, and goofy malfunctioning androids; her non-fiction readers just laugh at her and the hysterical life experiences she’s survived. If that’s your cup of tea (or coffee), join the fun at www.amycwilliams.com.