The Fragility of the Writing Ego
So before getting your big break and grabbing that brass ring known as publication, there is rejection. And that rejection sucks because each and every one becomes a blow to the ego, which furthers a new author to think "OMG WTF BBQ I SHOULD BURN MAH BOOK NAO!"
Hopefully, this feeling doesn't linger, but the grand accomplishment of having written out 100,000 words does get diminished a little by these blows.
Now here is the fun part: Once you have the brass ring? It ramps up to a whole new level!
Cuz now your work is in the public eye. There's gonna be a lot of people who will come to adore your work, which is terribly ego boosting. Then there will be those who don't love it and that's okay. The odds are against the entire world loving it. The point should be that YOU love it, and if it entertains some people, that's a good day.
I've come to write for me first, the reader second, but this doesn't mean they are exclusive of each other. I try to write being mindful of how others will take it, which is something I think I took away from growing up on Stephen King. He's excellent at hitting the right points in an almost universal way in peoples minds and I'd like to think I do that.
I think the best coping mechanism for dealing with rejection is trusting in the confidence of the people who do like your work or are willing to take a chance on it. They're your target... but listen to your detractors, too. They might be telling you something that you need to here and as I learn every day, there's always something new to learn to better yourself. The writing world has little use for ego, at least for the mindful author.
Hopefully, this feeling doesn't linger, but the grand accomplishment of having written out 100,000 words does get diminished a little by these blows.
Now here is the fun part: Once you have the brass ring? It ramps up to a whole new level!
Cuz now your work is in the public eye. There's gonna be a lot of people who will come to adore your work, which is terribly ego boosting. Then there will be those who don't love it and that's okay. The odds are against the entire world loving it. The point should be that YOU love it, and if it entertains some people, that's a good day.
I've come to write for me first, the reader second, but this doesn't mean they are exclusive of each other. I try to write being mindful of how others will take it, which is something I think I took away from growing up on Stephen King. He's excellent at hitting the right points in an almost universal way in peoples minds and I'd like to think I do that.
I think the best coping mechanism for dealing with rejection is trusting in the confidence of the people who do like your work or are willing to take a chance on it. They're your target... but listen to your detractors, too. They might be telling you something that you need to here and as I learn every day, there's always something new to learn to better yourself. The writing world has little use for ego, at least for the mindful author.
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