Today we are going to focus on a couple of tips for authors. We hope these tips will make life easier for you when you're on the receiving end of an infamous cliche` such as, "Why don't you get a real job?"
How frustrating it is when you've invested tons of time into your story and someone delivers a devastating blow to you like, "Anyone can write a book - what makes you so special? Why don't you quit playing around and get a real job?" I think we've all been hit with those kinds of words, and hit hard, me included. But through the years I've learned to deal with those kinds of words fired at me, and consider them "water off a duck's back," and you can too.
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| I am an author ~ I am creative I have a fantastical imagination I have a talent ~ and I am NOT a quitter |
Not an easy thing, but doable nonetheless; train yourself to NOT fire back when someone says something negative about your career choice. Smile, bite your tongue, and move on no matter how difficult it may seem. Learn to tell yourself the person delivering the verbal-hard-punch is most likely not familiar with the entire process of writing and/or publishing. If youre' feeling up to it, you may want to ask them, nicely, if they have ever written a novel and had it published. If their answer is no, then offer to explain the process. If they're not interested in listening to your explanation, again, smile, bite your tongue, and move on.
Does it ever stop hurting when you hear such words? No, at least it hasn't for me and I'm on epic novel #9. But if you stay poised, polite, and keep a good attitude in those situations, in time, those negative words won't hurt nearly as much.
In life, as an author, you will have every opportunity in the world to "give up" on your writing career, but in reality the best thing you can do is keep going. I have found that often times the negative remarks fuel my passion to continue on, and I strive to become even better at my "real job" than I've ever been.
Don't let the "nay-sayers" get you down. No matter what negative things they say to you, always remember this: if you are a writer you have a true talent, you are creative, you have an imagination worth sharing, and you are worth every word you write and then some! Keep your chin up, and your ideas flowing. There is always someone out there who wants to read your hard work and will appreciate it.
Believe in yourself, be confident in your stories, and never throw in "the pen." If you have a story inside, you need to let it out for the world to read. It's just that simple.
