Saturday, July 31, 2021

Respect: How A Writer Should Earn It

 Respect:

How A Writer Should Earn It


Most of us are little fish in a big pond when it comes to the publishing industry. We are all following our dreams and using what we know to make what we want possible. But none of that can truly be appreciated without earning respect. I will first tell you how to earn it and then move on to how not to. SPOILER ALERT! The ways on how not to earn respect out weight the how to.

You want to be willing to help other writers while understanding where they come from. Helping other writers can consist of beta reading or critiquing. It can be reviewing their work when its published. I personally spread by word of mouth how good a writer they are. Now you may ask when will I have time to write my own stories? There are many tools for how to manage your time wisely while helping others. You just have to remember along the way that this is all a part of earning respect.

As for understanding where the writer you're helping is coming from, simply get to know them. Treat them as your friend. Cheer the writer (or writers) you help on. People will respect you more this way.

Earning respect means presenting a positive image. You don't have to be positive all the time and sometimes reaching out to others for help can be a good thing. Do so with the same kindness and understanding being shown to you.

Keeping a positive image to me means showing you're busy and staying busy. Post questions about writing or blog about experiences at workshops. While attending said workshops be presentable in appearance and manners. Please leave out political issues if possible as you make connections. Writing before all else. That is the best policy you can follow.

NOW! Lets talk about what doesn't earn you respect.

Never disrespect anyone. Even people you disagree with deserve respect because sometimes harsh comments from you can backfire.

Leave big controversies happening online alone. Joining in is a risk not worth taking especially if you are not well known. And once you become well known someday, having participated in any negative event can come back at you.

Provide enough context in your posts and in person so that little misinterpretation can exist. There will still be people who hear and read what they want, but you will know what came from you.

Read and write what interests you. No one was elected and there is no law saying you have to read this or you can't write that. Ask yourself, will I respect myself if I play by the rules of people who don't sign my checks?

If you want to be sensitive to others then do so showing them they are capable. Throw away the idea that if someone was born this way or under these circumstance that the writer or reader is helpless in some way. If you want to earn respect, it also comes with allowing others to do the same.

And finally,  look for ways to get what you want with hard work. There is not a single person who has earned respect or benefited in any capacity by being handed an opportunity.

The "do not," part of this blogpost is a rant for me because I see so much negative out there. The positive needs to break through the clouds of the negative someday, and this post will hopefully be the one to do it.


Monday, July 19, 2021

Jealousy and Writing

 Jealousy

and

Writing


The worst feeling you can have for another writer or anyone is jealousy. It can drive you to say and do things outside your normal behavior. There will always be better writers, athletes and coworkers than you. You just have to walk your own path and keep trying. This blogpost will cover two instances where I myself was the victim of jealousy. It will also give tips on how to hopefully combat people in this state of mind.

I was once part of a local writers group. We read each others work to aid in future publication and read aloud at out meetings completed chapters. It was with one meeting where I read a passage of mine that a person later held a full cup of water over my laptop. We all know what could have happened but this person claimed she was joking. The awkwardness of the situation was profound because she has several books out on the market. I was and still am unpublished which gave her no motivation. The moral of this story is if you already have a writing career going, allow others to work on theirs. Perhaps she felt my passage was better than her own writing. I've read her work and can say she is a good writer.

A more recent incident involved a now ex-friend. He didn't like that my writing was more polished than his own. I had been trying to help him improve but things got heated. He went to a publisher I submitted to and withdrew my manuscript as me. I sent the publisher a message that I was basically hacked. This person is no longer in my life, but what is sad is I tried to help him. You as a writer should try to help others no matter what stage your own writing is at. It may help in the long run.

I have been jealous of other writers myself. I keep asking what are they doing right that I'm doing wrong. After 2020, I decided thinking that way was useless and slowed me down. I didn't set out on this journey to beat others in skill or sales. I became a writer to see my stories in the hands of readers and make a hopeful career out of it all. The odds are familiar to me but no one can be at fault for always trying.

As far as combating jealousy there is only a few choices to be made. Place your self in a group of people you can trust. Become familiar with them as creatives and people.  You want to be courteous of other's time and mental health while being honest. And if you slack on being courteous to those in your life only bad will surface in your lake of life. I can say this for certain the people in your life only exist because you chose to have them there.