Happy President's Day! The girls are out of school, and if we were in south Louisiana, we'd be in the middle of celebrating Mardi Gras! Very distracting; I'll keep it short.
I was thinking about those negative reviews on Goodreads, and then I was thinking about competition in general.
My mind went down this rabbit hole after I encouraged a bloggy friend who's going out on submissions with a YA science fiction book.
I'm about to return to finishing my own YA sci-fi come March, and I told our bleep something like this: "I hope your book flies off the charts so sci-fi gets hot again."
I was only partly joking. Of course, I want her to do well because she's great, but it's good for all of us when fellow writers do well.
It pumps more cash into the system, gets more people buying and reading books, which in turn allows more deals to be made.
Sometimes in traditional publishing it feels like that day will never come, but I do everything in my power to resist feeling negative as I wait. Because--it's good for all of us when fellow writers do well.
I've got a head cold, so I'm probably not connecting the dots very well... This relates to those nasty Goodreads reviews because I heard it proposed that perhaps they stem from a feeling of, "Why this book and not mine?"
If that's the case, my heart goes out to the authors targeted. You can't fight jealousy.
Personally, I'd like to think I've made it past being insecure about my writing. Heck, I've written for newspapers, magazines, professional journals, educational materials... closing in on 20 years now.
But there's a layer in news. I'm removed. If someone doesn't like what I wrote, well, sorry. That's just what happened. I'm only the messenger.
Two years ago I started creative writing. I started making this stuff up. It comes from my brain, and part of it's invested with my heart.
And when someone says it stinks, that hurts.
Guess what? I have to suck it up and get over it. Because that's what we do as professionals, regardless of the profession.
But they didn't get the point.
Who said they would? Learn and do better.
But they're misinterpreting what I said!
Then maybe you didn't say it correctly, or maybe they're hearing it through their lens, or maybe they're just nutcases.
But I have to make them understand!
And no, that's where you're wrong. Because you will never make them understand.
Now they're just being mean.
So what did you expect? Kid gloves?
*
What I'm trying to say is as authors, we have to ignore the negative stuff. As much as it hurts. And if you're the one acting out of envy, see that part up there about how one's success helps us all.
Work hard, keep swimming, and your time will come. It will.
Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! I'll be back Thursday with a good book review~ <3
I was thinking about those negative reviews on Goodreads, and then I was thinking about competition in general.
I'm about to return to finishing my own YA sci-fi come March, and I told our bleep something like this: "I hope your book flies off the charts so sci-fi gets hot again."
I was only partly joking. Of course, I want her to do well because she's great, but it's good for all of us when fellow writers do well.
It pumps more cash into the system, gets more people buying and reading books, which in turn allows more deals to be made.
Sometimes in traditional publishing it feels like that day will never come, but I do everything in my power to resist feeling negative as I wait. Because--it's good for all of us when fellow writers do well.
I've got a head cold, so I'm probably not connecting the dots very well... This relates to those nasty Goodreads reviews because I heard it proposed that perhaps they stem from a feeling of, "Why this book and not mine?"
If that's the case, my heart goes out to the authors targeted. You can't fight jealousy.
Personally, I'd like to think I've made it past being insecure about my writing. Heck, I've written for newspapers, magazines, professional journals, educational materials... closing in on 20 years now.
Two years ago I started creative writing. I started making this stuff up. It comes from my brain, and part of it's invested with my heart.
And when someone says it stinks, that hurts.
Guess what? I have to suck it up and get over it. Because that's what we do as professionals, regardless of the profession.
But they didn't get the point.
Who said they would? Learn and do better.
But they're misinterpreting what I said!
Then maybe you didn't say it correctly, or maybe they're hearing it through their lens, or maybe they're just nutcases.
But I have to make them understand!
And no, that's where you're wrong. Because you will never make them understand.
Now they're just being mean.
So what did you expect? Kid gloves?
*
What I'm trying to say is as authors, we have to ignore the negative stuff. As much as it hurts. And if you're the one acting out of envy, see that part up there about how one's success helps us all.
Work hard, keep swimming, and your time will come. It will.
Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! I'll be back Thursday with a good book review~ <3
