♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦
Topic #64
Common Obstacles. What are the challenges you face as a writer? What was it like to be rejected (as you undoubtedly were)? What kept you going when you wanted to quit? How do you deal with “writer’s block” or getting a negative review?
Welcome back to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop! If you’re new to the series, the authors included are grateful for your reads and appreciate, even more so, when you share our writings with your friends. If you’re new to the series, welcome aboard. The authors engage and impress weekly. Be prepared to become a regular reader.
To be honest, I don’t even know how I am still going. The constant rejection should have tilled me under and sent me on another path. Instead, I dug in. Why? I couldn’t even begin to tell you unless you’re an artist of some kind. It’s like an addiction. You know it’s going to hurt you. The process makes you euphoric. The inevitable crash is devastating. The cycle repeats.
Maybe that’s why many writers abused alcohol or other substances.
When I finally turned to independent publishing, at the wonderful advice of a woman I met at UAlbany, I was euphoric again. It lasted a pretty damn long time. Signings and feedback rolled in to hold me up there. Then, someone trolled my book, leaving a very damaging review. To this day, I never responded to them. I don’t speak about it. It’s not worth it. You bet that’s not easy, because I had the sneaking suspicion that I knew the person who did it. I can’t prove that, and I wouldn’t waste my time.
On a positive note, it was the impetus that kept me seeking better. I used the proceeds from my first book to publish my second, and left the first as it was until I was able to pay my editor to help me shape it up. At that point, I was taken up by a hybrid publisher who recently closed their doors. Much like the trolling kept my eye on the ball, the closing of my publisher tripped me up, but I took all that I learned from them with me, and I am stronger for it.
The moral of the story is that you MUST take what you can learn from the situations that are the hardest. When you’re struggling to be accepted, be bold enough to listen to why you’re being rejected, if you’re being given anything. Wen someone trolls you, realize they’re winding you up, and you have better things to do. It’s going to happen. People delight in abusing others online now, like a sport. Be prepared for it the more notice you get. When bad reviews hit, glean the tidbits that can help you get better, and move on. DO NOT flame them. Your reputation as a professional would be destroyed, and that would only delight the trolls.
How do I deal with negativity, besides just ignoring bullies? I talk with colleagues and friends behind the scenes. I don’t name anyone. The who doesn’t matter. What matters is hearing other authors talk about the same sort of issues, and finding out that you’re far from alone. The discussions often lead to solutions. You see, that’s why relationships are so important. Not only can authors help you, but you can help them. Priceless.
Some of my favorite people are authors. I look forward to our talks, and watching them grow. They teach me so much.
Let’s hop on over to see what the other authors have to say about obstacles…
