Editing - the good, the bad, and the ugly

One of the worst feelings I have to deal with as an editor is when I have to tell my clients their work isn't up to par. The crestfallen expression on their face, the down-turned eyes, the slumped attitude, it's difficult to see because I know how that feels. I know that empty feeling you get when all your hard work is scribbled over with a red (or purple or blue) pen. I've had it happen in my college classes, in my critique groups, in my adventures with freelance article writing. And knowing that I was the person to cause such emotional distress. It hurts.

But I also know the edits that I make on each individual work are not meant to be an attack on your self, rather a helping hand for your writing.

The way I see it, either you can filter the comments into your emotional side or you can filter them into your rational side. The rational side will tell you the critique is only there to show you how to become a better writer and you should at least look at the ideas posed, whereas the emotional side will have you eating ice cream out of a bucket for a week to dull the pain. Which one would you rather be doing?