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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I’ll bite. I’m taking a brain break from writing (on deadline) to be with you on DCUM. So if you’re interested in a glimpse of the glamorous writing life, I’m Exhibit A, toiling past midnight Don’t ask me to compute my “hourly rate.” I do love what I do. It’s a labor of love. Or maybe it’s just a labor. Sometimes it makes me want to pull out my eyelashes and hurl my computer across the room. I’m not sure there’s any “best” or “right” (or “write?”) path to becoming a writer. I write nonfiction books and essays that draw on my specific area of expertise. So for me, “becoming a writer” actually meant “training to do something else.” I subscribe to the adage, “write what you know.” (But make it funnier and smarter and anchor it with stories to make it memorable.) When you pitch, editors are going to want to know three things: why now, why you, and who is your audience. If you want to publish what you write, you’re going to need to figure out the answer to those questions. In the meantime, keep a journal, or jot down notes in a google doc. You’re a writer when you start writing. [b]As one last cautionary note, if you do publish, know that the “comments section” might obliterate those nice feelings you’ve been carrying all these years about your potential[/b]. I’m not telling you this to dissuade you from writing; I’m telling you this to dissuade you from reading the comments.[/quote]

I’m not the OP, but people have also told me to “become a writer.” I was a trade journalist back in the day. But today, it’s the idea of unfiltered feedback from, well, everybody, that holds me back from trying to publish. I don’t think I have a thick enough skin for that (and I’m used to having my work chewed up by editors - that doesn’t bother me).  I also think I lack the discipline to avoid reading the comments![/quote]

DP. I’m a copywriter for social media and online marketing SO I deal with a lot of hateful comments.

I’ve learned that ALL critics are people who are themselves stuck and jealous someone else is doing the thing they want to do and getting the recognition they wish they got. All of them. I am good friends with truly amazing professional writers and believe me, they don’t go around giving their 2 cents in comments sections. They’re too busy actually writing.

This reframe helped me a ton. The people who hate you are the crabs in the bottom of the bucket - they want to pull everyone down to their level rather than doing the hard work of lifting themselves up. I like to picture it as the ugly guy alone in his mom’s basement.

True feedback is different. True feedback makes you feel better, because they give you solutions and insights that help you grow. [/quote]

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