1. We wish our hearts were encased in steel. We think we are prepared for that first bad review or that one star rating or those words that say our book stinks. But we aren't. We wish our skin was thicker than the fat on a pig but it isn't. We wish we could reach for a chocolate bar and blow off the negative feelings as quick as we can devour our favorite food. But we can't. Writing isn't for the faint of heart. If we're going to put our hearts out there for anyone to stomp on, we have to be prepared. But honestly, we never are.
2. We wish all our friends, family and everyone around us were writers. If they were, they might get us. They might understand why we enjoy talking about make-believe people and why we sob over our computers when writing an emotional scene. They might understand why we drool over the thought of going into a Barnes and Noble and stand for hours in front of the shelves dreaming that one day our book might sit there.
3. We wish our name was Stephen King or Jodi Picoult. When our first book gets published, we dream of having an instant bestseller like the big writers do. We want to be on the NY Times' bestseller list before the book is even available. We pray. We hope. We cross our fingers. We watch the stats. And then reality hits us. We are a small drop of water in a big ocean. We learn to be content with selling that one book to a person who really needed to read it.
4. We wish we didn't have to spend most of our lives online. Most of our daily interactions take place over the computer. Some of us attend writer's groups but many of us live our lives with anonymous people we've met through some social site. If we do go to Starbuck's to write, we put in our earplugs and ignore the activity around us. Those few times when we meet an online buddy are better than gold.
5. We wish we didn't have to beg for reviews. We've been told reviews sell books. We hate begging our friends and family and strangers to give us a good review. We want them to love our book and think of writing a review on their own. We want them to email us and tell us they loved it even if they have to lie. (Not really!)
I'm going to throw in one more Secret just for the sake of it.
9 comments:
Great post, Terri. And so true. Every word.
"We would never change what we do..." Even though we are "a small drop in a big ocean"--that says it all! Writing changes us (in good ways) even though others don't understand us. So we keep at it. And then once in a while we meet someone who does get published--and we are very happy for them :-) I'm reading The Mulligan now and am really enjoying it! Great story...
Good thoughts and do not change what you do. Without writers there would be no books to read!!
My two cents:
We don't mind when other writers spill the beans, our beans, the you did with this post.
And one more, we love our fellow/sister writers, like I luv ya right now.
A musician friend sums it up that artist are just sensitive! So opinions can matter. But without this sensitivity, we couldn't write and be relatable to our readers. Staying connected with a few writers just via social media encourages me immensely, even without the real face time interaction. Thank you for being one of these writers! You make a difference even while in Starbucks with headphones!
Loved your list, Terri. The line that was especially poignant for me is that writing "is not for the faint of heart." True, true. I like to think of us as brave hearts! Susan
Happy Birthday I enjoyed your writing of the Mulligan and look forward to the next book.
Ah yes, this is so true! Writing is great but it does have its challenges, bad reviews being one of the toughest hurdles. :) Good post.
Ha, this made me giggle. I can soooooooooo relate! I think every writer can ;)
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