I recently applied for a writing job, and I didn’t get it. I got a lovely email explaining that I wasn’t the right fit for the company. Naturally, I spent the next hour of my life having self-loathing thoughts and banging my proverbial head against the wall. I wondered why they didn’t love my writing. I’m a good writer, and in fact writing is one of the only things I know how to do fairly well. But alas, they rejected me. I felt like I had been dumped before we even went on a first date.
Unfortunately, writing is one of those fields that is highly competitive and there is loads of rejection involved. It is also highly subjective. You might adore one person’s style of writing, and another person might find that same piece of writing distasteful. I remember when I first wrote Three-Year-Olds Are A**holes some people loved my style while others were appalled by it.
Writers are like ice cream flavors. I am coffee ice cream. Some people love my flavor, while others find it unpalatable. You can’t make people like coffee ice cream. Either they like it or they don’t. If I spent my days being offended by every single person who didn’t like what I wrote, I would be curled up in a ball crying for hours. That doesn’t sound fun.
If they don’t like coffee ice cream, that’s okay by me. They can go out in search of some vanilla with rainbow sprinkles. I will find another cone somewhere where I am appreciated for the unique flavor that I am.
**I spent the next hour of my life having self-loathing thoughts and banging my proverbial head against the wall.**
Yeah, I hate when I do that. I mean, am I the only one who thinks I’mbloody brilliant!?
PS. I see on your side bar you have The End Of Your Life Book Club. Loved it! I wrote to Will and he wrote back. I told him his mom is my hero.
Also, I PRAY my flavor of ice-cream is NOT vanilla! xx