Writing and Publishing Bitterness
February 26, 2010
For people who do not write, or who used to write there is a lot of writing and publishing bitterness.
What are some of these comments?
You make (insert dollars) and you spend (insert time). Why are you wasting it?
When will you get a “real job”?
Does writing make you anything?
I know you love writing and publishing… but is it worth it?
See bitterness has an edge to it, but I think the worst comes to newer writers who don’t have a thick skin or don’t realize that writing means dealing with doubters and all out critics. These might even be in your own family.
How do you handle writing and publishing bitterness?
4 Comments
Bethany AKA Mother of the Munchkins
Ran into an ex-in-law about two years ago who said, "So, how's that book thing working out for you?" My immediate reaction was not productive, I gave up! It took a while to get back in the saddle. After I realized I'd been goaded into quitting by someone who was deriving pleasure from my failure. Now I use the moment as the driving force to keep me writing.
Ev Bishop
Mostly, I just try to consider the source: if it's someone else putting me/writing down, they generally live lives I don't really want for myself, so though being the weirdo is sometimes lonely, I'm used to it.
If it's me feeling a bit bitter and/or bruised, I let myself wallow a bit. Or I make soup–seriously. And I journal, write purely for fun, and/or spend more time than usual online with writing buddies or reading their blogs.
I work hard to remember that I write because I love it and I need it–the rest of it, publishing, etc, is gravy.
Ev Bishop
I want to add one more thing! 🙂 Whenever anyone asks me about my writing, I rave happily–even when I suspect or KNOW they're kind of dismissing my "little hobby." 😉 Most people respond really well to enthusiasm.
I'm also very fortunate–I have a lot of supportive people in my life.
MG
what is "real job" and what is "waste of time"?
neither life nor writing should be treated so seriously 🙂
on the other hand from purely pragmatic point of view writing can be regarded as a high risk investment strategy. you can lose a lot of time and money, but if you succeed you drink champagne or get some equivalent satisfaction which would be impossible by doing "real job"
apart from that there are many other aspects that makes writing worth doing