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Beware the Nay-Sayers!

19 Jul

As a writer I don’t enjoy a lot of support for what I do. I mean, my family is supportive, other writers are supportive, but people in general have one of two reactions; they either are in awe of the fact that I write but don’t really know what to say, or they look all skeptical like I just told them that I’ve been to the moon three times since March. Either reaction is sort of annoying because it makes me feel set aside from the rest of the human race. If I had to choose which reaction out of the two I prefer though, it would be the “awe reaction” because the other one makes me want to punch people in the face.

For a writer, there is nothing worse than blatant disapproval from folks who have no clue. It’s like having a plumber tell you that your adjectives are all wrong. Dude, I don’t talk about your plumbers crack (because apparently that is all part of the plumber experience) so don’t dis my writing skills. It is frustrating. It is also frustrating that we are in the only profession where people feel they can openly disapprove of what we do. Folks don’t look all crazy at the phone installation guy when he announces that he installs phones…so why look at the writer crazy? It’s just weird.

I combat this reaction several ways….

I tell them that I kill people for a living instead of telling them I am a writer. Both things are true but one garnishes a great reaction.

I tell people that I am secretly in the CIA and writing is my cover. You would be amazed at how many people are willing to believe that.

Finally, I just tell most of them to get stuffed. I love what I do and I don’t really care who actually approves or disapproves. It has been my experience that most people who disapprove are usually just jealous anyways. The key for you as a writer is to beware of the naysayers because their negativity can bring you down even when you don’t think that you are listening to them. Tell them to go pound sand (STILL don’t know what that means) and keep on writing. One day they will see your book in a store window while they are yanking up their pants over that plumbers crack and you, my fellow writer, will have won a great victory.

 

 

© The Writer’s Advice, 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

 
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Posted by on July 19, 2022 in Healthy Writers, Writing

 

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