The document provides guidance on how to respond to criticism of one's work in a constructive manner. It recommends tolerating even unreasonable criticism and transforming debates into conversations by explaining what you aimed to accomplish rather than defending your work. This allows both sides to learn from discussions of criticism. The document also outlines a process for organizing writing tools and using them effectively, including gathering ideas and evidence, focusing one's topic, selecting relevant material, planning and revising to improve one's writing skills.

1. Tolerate even unreasonable criticism.
 Convert debate into conversation.
Conversations have give and take.
Debates have winners and losers.
 A conversation can conclude with both sides learning, and
a promise of more good talk to come.
 Never defend your work against criticism
Explain what you were trying to accomplish.
Debate then likely becomes a conversation.
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2. In summary:
 Do not fall into the trap of arguing about matters of taste.
 Do not, as a reflex, defend your work against negative
criticism.
 Explain to your critic what you were trying to do.
 Transform arguments into conversations.
If you learn to use criticism in positive ways, you will continue
to grow as a writer.
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3. The tools have been organized into four parts.
1) Nuts and bolts: Power of subject and verb, emphatic
word order, stronger and weaker elements.
2) Special effects: Use of language to cue readers,
overpower cliches with creativity, set a pace,
overstatement and understatement, showing over telling.
3) Blueprints: Organizing, difference between reports and
stories, planting clues, generating suspense.
4) Reliable habits: Routines for courage and stamina,
transforming procrastination into rehearsal, reading with a
purpose, how to help and be helped, how to learn from
criticism.
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4. Now, how to store all of
your tools on the shelves
of a metaphorical
workbench.
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5. Writing is not like the work of a magician, so follow these
steps to get to a finished product. These are your
shelves or toolboxes.
1) Idea (explore): Be curious and store up ideas.
2) Collect evidence: Get out of your cubicle and look for
stuff.
3) Find a focus: Express your topic in a title, a first
sentence, a summary paragraph, a theme statement, a
thesis, a question that will be answered, one perfect
word.
4) Select the best stuff: New writers dump all their
research into a story. Veterans use a fraction of what they
gather.
5) Recognize and order: Work from a plan.
6) Write a draft: Fast or slow; whatever works for you.
7) Revise and clarify: Writing is rewriting.
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6. Examples of what to do with these shelves.
 In the focus box keep a set of questions the reader might
ask.
 In the order box have story shapes such as a
chronological or narrative and the gold coins.
 In the revision box keep tools for cutting useless words.
 And keep a copy handy of the The Quick List in the back
of the book.
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