- Joined
- Jun 10, 2015
- Messages
- 481
- Reaction score
- 30
- Location
- Los Angeles
- Website
- www.anastasiareeves.com
Getting way ahead of myself is my brain's way of feeding the Doubt Monster heavy amounts of food on a daily basis. In my newly created profile I admit that one of the things people do not know about me is that I fear success. Even the smallest amount of it. And here's why.
Today as I read through my usual social media fodder, I was deeply saddened to find a well-known YA author having to come to the defense of her friends, who are also well-known YA authors, against hateful readers(?). One of the authors was being accused of catering to a teen audience so he could molest his fans, and the other was being threatened with bodily harm, and arson against bookstores selling her work, because they didn't like something she did with her characters. Also her own fandom is mad at her for not choosing a side in a war over things she has no control over. In other words. The authors who's work I have grown to admire, are dealing with a pile of crap just for being, successful authors.
Now. I may never be a successful novel writer. And I am well aware of that. But just seeing that it's out there. The vitriol, the hatred, even if you have a small modicum of success, makes me feel the urge to try less.
Many people fear failure. I fear success. How does one quiet the Doubt Monster and stop feeding it tasty morsels? Is it possible, in this day and age, to be a successful writer and NOT engage the public via social media? How do you shut the voices up and just write anyway?
Today as I read through my usual social media fodder, I was deeply saddened to find a well-known YA author having to come to the defense of her friends, who are also well-known YA authors, against hateful readers(?). One of the authors was being accused of catering to a teen audience so he could molest his fans, and the other was being threatened with bodily harm, and arson against bookstores selling her work, because they didn't like something she did with her characters. Also her own fandom is mad at her for not choosing a side in a war over things she has no control over. In other words. The authors who's work I have grown to admire, are dealing with a pile of crap just for being, successful authors.
Now. I may never be a successful novel writer. And I am well aware of that. But just seeing that it's out there. The vitriol, the hatred, even if you have a small modicum of success, makes me feel the urge to try less.
Many people fear failure. I fear success. How does one quiet the Doubt Monster and stop feeding it tasty morsels? Is it possible, in this day and age, to be a successful writer and NOT engage the public via social media? How do you shut the voices up and just write anyway?