You publicly tweet and a random person jumps into your
conversation. (Even I get a little thrown off by this.)
Don’t be shocked when…
You blog about your life, your family, your trials and
tribulations and a follower makes a personal connection with you and treats you
like a friend, even though they have never met you. (When I get over the oddity of it, I'm flattered.)
Don’t be shocked when…
You publicly bash the industry and find all the doors to
publication have slammed shut in your face. (Really? Really.)
Don’t be shocked when…
You rip apart an author’s book in a public review and then
later, they decline (and their close author friends) your solicitation to help
you market your book. (Really. Well known artists have blogged about this. Negative criticism leaves a scar.)
Don’t be shocked when…
Your MS is continually rejected but all your non-writer
friends (i.e. your husband, best friend, neighbor’s niece) have all raved at
your brilliance. (Would you have a florist repair your car?)
Don’t be shocked when…
Your critique partner informs you that your first draft is
CRAP.
Don’t be shocked when…
You realize your critique partner is right.
Don’t be shocked when…
You shelf your first book and know it will NEVER be
published. (Deny it for as long as you need to. I did. Then let it go and go write that best seller.)
Don’t be shocked when…
Everyone else around is rising in their career while you are
actively doing nothing to grow yours.
Don’t be shocked when…
You eat like crap, never exercise and are no longer tone and
athletic. (Okay, that was not about writing but I had someone complain to me
about how unfair it was we were the same weight yet I am half her size. Muscle is more dense than fat.)
Don’t be shocked when…
People do all of the above and treat their opinions as fact. Some people live blissfully in their closed
minded worlds. It doesn’t mean we all have
too. Educate yourself, and you’ll expand
your world.
In the words of Seth Meyers; Really?
Some of the posts, comments and tweets people publicly rant about shock me. This list reminds me not to be shocked.
Some of the posts, comments and tweets people publicly rant about shock me. This list reminds me not to be shocked.