Taking a step back from social media
I use social media a lot. Facebook helps me to keep in touch with far-flung writing friends, and from Twitter I get publishing industry news, and links to dozens of writing, wildlife, and scientific blogs and articles. I find Twitter an invaluable research tool, but even so there are times when it's too much and I have to step back from it.
Sometimes the comments people post slip into moaning. It's easy to do that when we're commenting about the lack of gender parity in SF publishing, because it is a real issue, and a genuine problem. That's why the VIDA count is brilliant, collecting and publishing hard data about the situation. Their numbers are invaluable for proving the case, but other comments aren't so helpful.
As a writer regularly submitting my stories to magazines, and regularly getting them rejected, this whinging doesn't help my writing self-confidence. Neither does the barrage of smug tweets and Facebook posts some writers put on social media, announcing their next book contract or prize.
Some days it seems like social media is full of nothing but people celebrating their successes. And on a day when I've just received three rejections that's hard to take.The green-eyed jealousy monster rises. Why did she win? I think her book's awful. I hate it, and it's not even well-written. You know the sort of thing the monster whispers into my ear.
So I take a step back and regroup. Because, deep down, I know my work is good, that the stories I'm sending out are good, that they deserve to be bought. I have served a forty-year writing apprenticeship, after all. I know also that what will get me recognized as a writer is writing with passion about the things I care about, in my own voice. The way to greatness is not imitating one of these successful authors. It's presenting my authentic message and voice.
So sometimes I withdraw from social media for a while, renew my beliefs in myself and my writing, carry on turning out words, and keep on sending out what I write. I promise not to crow about it too much when I finally win the big prizes.
Wendy Metcalfe is the author of Panthera : Death Spiral and Panthera : Death Song, and the short story collection Otherlives. Find out more at www.wendymetcalfe.com
I always think the people who have to shout about how far up the Amazon charts/ how many millions of words they write today are rather sad. As you say, if you are confident of your writing talent, other people's success (if friends) is to be lauded. The rest? Hey, prade your inadequacy elsewhere! I have never checked my Amazon rating/sales figures. Nor do I say how many words I have written., probably becausae I don't think anyone is that interested. Like they're not interested in what I ate and how many times I went to the loo (not joking, have seen this). x Good luck with the submissions. I could paper the walls f this house with mone.
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