You wither love it or hate it. That’s what I was originally going to name this post because that’s really the essential lesson I learned from writing the Mistaken Identity Series.
Mistaken Identity part 3 #livestory starts 2morrow. Camp #Nanowrimo.org
When Mistaken Identity was release, I really had to buckle down and put on a hard shell due to the responses I received from readers.
People have been on the extreme of each side about the book. They either love the story or they don’t. Due to the complex nature of the book and the relationship of the protagonists, I can’t really go into detail why you’ll either love or hate the book.
A couple of them were so mean that I almost pulled the book and it’s semi-sequel, Secrets, Lies & Family Ties.
Until..
A reader wrote me and told me another author had “tried” to do the same thing. This was about three years after the book had been published and the reader said “no one can do a Sylvia Hubbard love story except you.” That was a compliment, but also a little reassuring.
I realized I was the type of person who you either loved or hated. The concepts I develop are basically the same – and this includes love stories.
Now I’m not going to say, I’m the bomb dot com. There are some horrible stories I’ve come up with and I wonder hey, why’d I publish that. It ended too fast or I needed to develop something, but dangit, the majority of the reason why I publish is because I had a great book, a great idea and I enjoyed myself immensely as I wrote and just knew others would enjoy themselves as they read.
So I write really for myself and I have to tell me those scathing reviewers and other readers who told me they’d rather use my book to wipe their butt rather than read it (true quote from an email) can really say whatever they want to say because I’m not writing for them.
I’m writing for myself and there are other people who really like me and like what I write that just happen to support my literary endeavors.
For that I’m weirdly grateful, because I know I think really outside of the box and I’m glad I’m not alone in this world to venture into the unknown and say, what if…
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I have been reading the book called “On Writing” by Stephen King. For someone who has sold so many millions of books, he himself had a spike in his wall that he used to hang up all of his rejection letters that he would get from magazines. So, rejections happen, and people can also be rather mean. But you gotta keep doing what you do, especially because you have real fans out there 🙂 I’m happy for you for that!
thanks so much for the encouragement Jennifer!
Sylvia,
There will always be those that hate the playa and not the game… so in saying that, I say just keep doing what you and let those others fall by the wayside and eat your dust. I have been a fan of yours since i started reading your Heart series and other stories that you have written and I have not been disappointed yet,nor do I think I will be anytime in the near future. Just continue to keep your head up and keep on keeping on.
God Bless You
Yvonne
thanks Yvonne. And I’ve always appreciated the support of all my readers!
As a writer I had to also learn not to take reviews personally. Writing is subjective. There will be people who think your work is crap and others who will become your loyal fans and await each and ever story you create. That is who I write for. Writers should write because there is a story inside of them that they must get out and share with the world. This is why I keep writing. I have to tell the story that is “given” to me and I have to share it. If people hate it then the story was not meant for them. I write for my fans not the haters.
Writers should write to get the story out. I used to take criticism personally but I don’t anymore because I am a reader and I have authors that I am fans of but they have written books that I did not care for. Writing is subjective. A story will speak to one person and the next person will hate it. Its the same with any art form. I write for my fans and readers. Some love the stories, some do not. And that is just fine. It does hurt though when those reviews come and people think you’re a hack or whatever but you keep writing because you have to. So I don’t worry about bad reviews any longer. Just keep writing. (not sure if my original post actually posted so forgive duplications)
thanks Crystal. I’m learning and even though I’ve written several novels I’m still learning.