"Having cold water thrown over your dreams is part of being a writer."
–David Wheatley, The Irish Times, October 17, 1995
I know, this quotation is nothing unique. But I’m thinking about it because Hope Vestergaard and I were chatting yesterday. She mentioned that she was working on a project in the same general topic area as mine, and I said, "Oh no!" And I know another wonderful writer working on a poetry project (which mine is) on the same topic. Ack!
But Hope redirected me, saying it was just a matter of great minds thinking alike. She said she was "…trying not to succumb to the easy lure of publishing negativity this year."
And I know what she means. I generally remain relentlessly upbeat about this industry, despite the terrible odds of finding a publisher and then actually finding enough people to buy the book. But I was glad for the reminder. I’ve had some bad news recently on the professional front (which I’ll share once it’s able to go public) and am feeling more uncertain than usual, especially with the hurricane of hysteria over layoffs and reorganizations.
Still, I hate it when I’m with a group of writers and they want to spend an hour moaning and griping over "the state of the industry." Obviously, you have to be aware of it and work as smart as you can. But I’d rather do something productive than get in the rut of looking for failure.
What about you? Are you a griper and you like it? Maybe it’s just how you deal with all the bad news? Or if not, do you have any tips for keeping upbeat and positive about this wacky industry?