More writers need to realize that they are not their writing. Just like Steve Jobs is not an iPod and Thomas Edison is not a lightbulb, you are not your writing. As a writer, you are creating a product and if you enjoyed making it and you felt it needed an audience, and it found that audience, then who cares what they think?
I think Kate Zambreno struggles with this and writers that I know who have books struggle with this but they really shouldn't. I don't really know what it's like to get a bad review, but I do know what it's like being rejected and getting negative feedback on writing.
Some people are just going prefer shitty writing and Zunes and whale-fat-powered candle light and nobody should take that personally.
Sometimes you're going to write something that is bad. And that bad writing is not you. That is a separate thing. Yes, you created it, and if it sucks, be honest with yourself and allow other people to pan it. But if someone says you're a narcissistic asshole, or a racist piece of shit, or a closet misogynist to your face, about you, you should be offended.
Unless, of course, you are.
If you're worried about negative reviews or negative thoughts about you because of your writing, why not just put in a livejournal? Why publish it at all? Why not keep it on a hard drive or print everything you write and put it in your sock drawer?
Publishing after you die is a good idea I guess... I'd love to see that book contract...
A lot of people really love the shit out of light bulbs and iPods but Edison and Jobs were kind of assholes. You can only be a good You and a good creator of good stuff, but you can't control what people are going to like. If you make good things and are a good person it shouldn't matter what other people think.
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