Writers are commonly told to grow a thick skin.  That, my friends, is nonsense, because thick-skinned people are not very good writers.  They are bullet proof to criticism, yes, but they also lack the insight and empathy required to feel the emotions that should resonant throughout their work.  Two recent novels, See You at Harry’s and The Fault in Our Stars, are full of such raw, terrible emotions that they move the readers to tears.  Neither of the authors are thick-skinned. They are empathetic, creative, and sensitive. They have great insight into the human condition. They see what we can’t and hold up a mirror so that we can see ourselves. Remove those qualities from the writers, wrap them in protective callouses, and no reader will shed a tear at their work. No one will care enough to write a review.

So the next time you read that Author X must suffer gladly the slings and arrows of critique, consider this: If Author X changes, there would be no great characters, no heart-breaking story, and no emotion that lingers for days after the reading.  In fact, there would be no book at all, which would be a very sad thing indeed.

***Thanks to everyone for the comments, retweets, and reposting.

Booklist said that “Bug is a refreshingly gutsy female protagonist with an attitude that will win over readers.”

And Teensreadtoo.com, which added SE to its Hall of Fame, said that “Soul Enchilada is a brilliant debut novel from David Macinnis Gill and I absolutely cannot wait for more from this very promising author. Whenever you get the chance, I strongly urge you to run out and get a copy (when it’s released in April 2009). You’ll have a good laugh and the story will make you reflect on what you have.”

Hall of Fame? Wow.