Hate is a strong word, but it has become extremely common and sociably acceptable on the internet today. You can argue that it’s not, but you’ve seen them and their little following. I’m not talking about the internet bully or the trolls. I’m talking about the guy who never has anything good to say. He reviews books or whatever and he really breaks them down and tells everyone who will listen how much he hates your work and will never read your books again.
Ouch a little.
I love that guy. I am not that guy, I can’t relate to that guy. I’ve given tough reviews and most of my toughest were on traditionally published authors, but that is because I expect a lot more from them. I pay a hell of lot more of those books. I am a tightwad. I’m so cheap I squeak when I walk. It’s true; I can’t sneak up on anyone. If it’s not a bargain, I don’t want it anyway. I actually have bought books by an author after not liking his first. I wanted to see if he improved, or maybe the first story just wasn’t my thing and I saw some potential.
For some reason the world is full of negativity. I will never understand why someone would try to push someone down a path that would make them miserable and then pretend to care that the person they pushed is now struggling and miserable. Like many writers, I have been tested repeatedly and in the past I gave in to those fears of “responsibility” and walked away from my dreams.
Over the years, I’ve grown stronger and realized my dreams are not irresponsible at all. I no longer care if my own friends laugh at me and doubt me. It’s not up to them, and people like that are not really my friends. Luckily for me, my wife is 100% supportive of my choices in life, and she’s never read more than a few pages of anything I’ve written. I’m not here to say I’m the next Stephen King or John Locke. What I am is me, and I’m a writer. I would rather write than do anything else.
Sometimes it seems as if everything is pushing at me again to walk away. What I don’t understand is why my friends would assume I was going to fail, and for some it feels as if they would prefer I do. I’ve never failed anything I’ve tried to do in my entire life. What failures I have had all came because I quit. Well, I’m not quitting this time. I will be published, I will become a bestseller and I will make this a career. It’s not just a dream anymore, it’s my goal. It’s unbreakable. I’m unbreakable. I don’t care what comes against me to try to stop me. I will succeed.
If you have dreams, then wake up! Stop living them in your mind and go out there and pursue those dreams. Life is too short to just watch it go by because of fear of failure. If you fall short, that just means you need to give it a little more. There are two things that can stop you from achieving your life long dreams. One of them you have complete control of, whether you quit or try at all. The other is what happens if you wait too long. We all have to die someday. It’s better to live while you can, rather than waste away your life in safety and “for sure” things.
My day job involves working with car accidents, and it’s taught me a lot about living safely. There is no sure thing in life. It doesn’t matter how good a driver you are, if the other guy doesn’t see you and runs the light, then your life is over. So stop pretending you’re in control, throw away the negativity and live your life! If you’re a writer, then don’t let anyone or anything stop you from writing. You don’t know when someone else is going to run that light and end your dreams before you reach them.
Thought I'd share an awesome song that I love to listen to when those naysayers try to bring me down. Listen to the words, because what she sings is true.
