How Do You Deal With Criticism?

This is really me searching for advice.

Who do you listen to you? Fellow writers, your best friend, your teacher? If someone critiques you, what process do you go through to separate the valuable stuff from the bullshit? How do you keep a critique that seems like a critique of you as a writer in general, not just of a certain work, from bringing you down completely?

Give me your methods, folks.

<3 hannah

The Source

Writer's Block or Revision Block... what do you do to get over it? What inspires you to write or want to write???

I used to write really fast, still do sometimes, but I find that I get distracted by new ideas. Like, I'll be working on my new book and then POW! a new idea pops up. Rather than continuing what I was doing, I stop and write down the new idea. Then a chapter to go along with it. Eventually my main book is in the same state, but I've started four other ones!

My files are becoming a graveyard of ideas.

I know some writers who like to read to get inspired. That doesn't work for me. Some say when they're depressed they write. Naw. Doesn't work for me either. I'm finding, the thing that has inspired me most is other writers.

Reading an excerpt from a friend, hearing about a great book deal, getting an email from one of my dear critique partners saying, "Where the heck is the next chapter, Suz??"

But I'd love to know about you!!! From where do you draw your writing inspiration???

-Suz