National Novel Writing Month is a month and a half away. I’d like to think that I’ll be done with the Boston Wolves but yeah…probably not. I bring this up because I got an email from the local coordinator with a list of places and times where those of us here in the metro area can gather for write-ins. Some are in October as a way to get prepped and excited for the kick-off of things on November 1. Yeah, yeah, you say, but what does this have to do with today’s topic? Well, here’s what the Big U had to say. My thoughts follow.

Embrace criticism, Silver… whether from the wise or from fools.

Never have words been uttered that didn’t have meaning to those who’ve heard them.

How’s that for stopping you in your tracks?
The Universe
©www.tut.com
(Now be sure to read the P.S. below… BTW there’s always a “P.S. below,” on every single daily Note.)

P.S. Which by no means implies what you heard was true, Silver! Maybe you heard those words to test your confidence, to challenge your resolve, or to help you rethink earlier choices… only you know.

I normally don’t do the group events. I’m solitary by nature but one of the coordinators from several years ago asked me to come and be available for questions since I’d been published and all. As anticipated, I got no writing done (I’m easily distracted when there are others around for…reasons! LOL) I didn’t give a class or talk or anything. The coordinator introduced me and told those who’d gathered that I’d be happy to answer questions if they wanted to come up to me. None of the participants had been published yet so I was expecting quetions on how to find an agent, a publisher, the pitfalls of self-publishing, etc. I was surprised by the majority of conversations I had that evening. Their number one concern–and what seemed to hold some of them back from showing their work and/or trying to get published–was the fear of criticism. “What do you do about bad reviews?” “How do you handle rejections when you submit your book?” “What happens when someone hates your work?”

Yeah, we writers are an insecure lot. Heck, ALL of us are insecure when it comes to criticism–whether it’s about our work, our looks, our lifestyles, whatever. Someone is always going to dislike something about us. And that’s basically what I told them. You shrug it off. You enjoy the good reviews, the requests, and the folks who love your stuff. I don’t write to please everyone because that’s an exercise in futility. I write what I enjoy reading and I write what those who enjoy reading it want. There’s an audience out there for whatever you write. The trick is finding them. And that’s my lesson for today. Take the good, walk away from the bad, lesson learned. Yeah?