Thoughts on being a writer
How a writer celebrates Thanksgiving Day
I’m far from a best seller.
Only 5 minutes ago on Amazon, out of 20.7 million English Language books, ATTO RUN was 130,319 in SciFi & 4,967,979 overall.
Hey, It could be worse. I’m in the top 30%, not the bottom 70%.
Which brings me to my point
As a writer, you’ll find that other writers are very supportive. Several provide spot-on advice. Here are a few great sites that come to mind:
Chris Graham He reblogs only the best!
Sally G. Cronin Great writing advice, often reblogged by Chris.
Amanda Ricks Social Media is her forte
Kawanee Hamilton Great writing advice, often reblogged by Chris.
BUT
(and that’s a BIG but)
…you’re going to run into a few talentless trolls who get their thrills from tearing other people down.
I ran into one of them when I was a guest poet. The fact that the poem received 151 likes made me smile at the vain effort.
If you’re wondering, “How do I handle them?” here’s a bit of advice gleaned from the experts:
- If you’re writing a guest post, ignore them.
- Moderate new comments and if you find a troll, block it.
If it isn’t the trolls, it’s the people who think they’re helping you by pointing out that you have as much chance of making a million off your book as you have of being struck by lightning on the moon.
Here’s a bit of advice about handling negative helpers:
He: You have to face the fact your book is never going to be a best seller. There are better ways to make money.
Me: That’s not why I write.
He: Then why bother?
Me (with a broad smile): To write is to breathe in life. I write for the sheer joy of it. In fact, I can’t NOT write.
He: *silence*
There’s no better way to deflate a Toilet-load of negativity than drowning it in joy.
Bottom line: Stick with the people who are supportive, avoid the jerks, and laugh at the talentless trolls. The first time you hold your book, your creation, in your hand, you’ll be glad you did.
Hear hear
My biggest troll is easy to spot. He’s there every morning pretending to be me when I look in the mirror
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That’s the hardest one to get rid of. 🙂
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If you find a way…
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Great post!!
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Thanks. 🙂
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Keep that mindset Joelle 👍
PS Many thanks for including me with those other great people 😃
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Your reblogs have taught me a lot. 🙂
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Good 👍😃
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I suppose if I wanted to make money writing, the path to go would be to get a job as a newspaper reporter for a large metropolitan newspaper. I have sent my resume to the “Daily Planet”.
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My fairy godmother says the Daily Planet doesn’t exist. 🙂
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YAHOO!!!! Oh my goodness I’ve met this Troll myself! Good going for you, they just don’t get it, won’t get it, can’t get it. So leave the Trolls to roll around in the dirt and you do your thing, (write) which matters! p.s. Thank you so very much for the wonderful compliment. Big bow. 🙂
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A person who participates in an intelligent give and take, I don’t mind at all. But you can tell the difference between a troll and someone who has an opposing opinion. Critical thinkers don’t attack, they present their opinion. You and I have had a few differences of opinion, we state our case and then we go on. 🙂
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I try not to value my posts based on how many likes I get or block people from sharing their opinions, but you are correct in saying there is a difference between critical thinking and trolling. I enjoy all our exchanges but there is plenty of mutual respect that threads through the totality of our conversations. A troll will invert ‘everything’ you say into their own twisted perceptions. They see who they are not who you are. I’m sorry that happened to you. Know I’m one of your supporters 🙂
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I was going to put your name in this post as one of the most supportive writers I know, and a very talented writer. Instead, I’d like to reblog NaNa and say it, if that’s all right.
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Of course, many thanks, and how kind of you 🙂
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I don’t know much about trolls, considering I just started. But, you do make a valid point. When I was in middle school, I had this friend who always wanted to be at the top of EVERYTHING. By all means, I respected that. I happened to be a little more savvy, however, in classes that she found more complexity in such as English and History. I got my progress report, and it was pretty good. But, by the way she conducted herself, I assumed she got better. I continued to assume that she got better all the way till the end of the year when we graduated. When we got our awards for high grades, I was, I guess what you’d call, “Valedictorian” while she was “Salutatorian”. On our way off the stage, she gave me a mean glare and flipped me off. I didn’t really know how to respond to that. Everyone else in the audience was applauding me except her. But, I think I might have an idea as to what my next move should be, should that ever happen again. Thanks to you. You’re a genius. Keep it up! Keep writing!
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Thanks for the kind words.
It’s sad when people can’t applaud achievement because their jealousy gets in the way.
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