2,575 words today, which is 425 words short of my goal for the day but I’m throwing in the towel anyway. I’m at 167,358 total for the manuscript. Pretty good considering I started the month at 151,301 and I’ve gone through both finals for USC and my edTPA filming since then.
But I’m still feeling kind of down tonight.
I made the mistake of reading some negative reviews of my books and it just has me feeling a little bit low. It doesn’t help matters that I wrote myself into a corner the last few days, and those 2,575 words I wrote pretty much all came out as crap. LT says you have to get the crap words out first before you can get to the good words, and I guess I agree with that, but it’s also so hard to write when you know what you’re writing is stuff you’re going to have to delete in the end anyway.
And tonight’s negative reviews come on the heels of another negative review I read yesterday… and the worst kind of negative review is the kind of review you think you probably deserve.
However, tomorrow (i.e., today) is another day.
Last night, when I re-read the two paragraphs above that I had just written, I decided it was clearly time for me to go to sleep. Some people get hungry-moody; I get sleepy-moody. So when I see my own negativity start to come out, then I know it’s bed time.
Negative reviews suck just as much at 6am as they do at 10pm, but at 6am I can handle them with a little more grace. Other authors will tell you not to take negative reviews too personally or too seriously and to focus on how many more positive reviews you have than negative ones, but I wonder if they honestly take their own advice. Negative reviews don’t sink me for days like they do some people (they only sink me for hours, apparently), but rejection is still rejection and writing — or any other form of artistic creation — is an incredibly intimate process.
Anyway, today is my last day of school at my student teaching placement site. I can’t believe it’s only been five months. It feels more like it’s been five years. I know that seems unrelated to my commentary above on negative reviews, but…
What I have wanted to say to the negative reviewers is mainly this: First, have you ever actually written a novel yourself, and if you have, were you also courageous enough to publish it for all the world to see? Second, when you write a scathing negative review, does it ever cross your mind that the author you are lambasting may actually read it? If they were your friend, if you knew about the various stressors in their life and what they’ve been going through and the way that writing is one of their only positive outlets, would you still trash their work? And if you claim that yes, you would still say the same things, would you say it in the same way?
Okay, I’m ready to leave it be and let it go now. I feel better. 🙂
13 Comments
Annette Mori · December 20, 2019 at 2:41 pm
I read a shitton of lesfic and other literature and I can confidently declare, you are one of the better writers out there. Not one single writer can claim never getting a bad review, because writing is art and subject to many different tastes.
Sarah · December 20, 2019 at 3:01 pm
Trolls live under a bridge for a reason- lack of social skills and common decency. My anxiety and inability to rationalize it away spike at bed time, so I get that completely. You inspire me daily, even when you’re not posting. Knowing you’re working your butt off to make your dreams come true, despite the doubts and (clearly idiotic) trolls- it’s truly an inspiration. Also a kick in the pants, what am I doing with my own life?? I still long to write, and I know you said to just do it. I’m trying- and I’m definitely getting closer to that point of just telling my brain to shut up and let the words flow. I will, and I can! That small fragment of belief in myself in no small part comes from you. So thank you, for your beautiful books and inspiration. Let those trolls freeze and starve. <3
Maddy · December 20, 2019 at 3:28 pm
What Sarah said. Every word. I learned a great expression when I was in my 30’s and still had a lot of fucks to give about other people’s opinions of me: “What you think of me is none of my business,”
Water off a ducks back, Eliza 💜💜💜
Maddy · December 20, 2019 at 3:31 pm
PS: I’ll turn 60 in June and I ran out of fucks to give about 5 years ago. Chin up!
Dorothy Hermes · December 20, 2019 at 4:02 pm
Bad reviews even make me angry and I’m not an author! I just want you to know that I think you are a fantastic writer and have read every one of your books except for 1 and I don’t even have an excuse for not reading it. However, now that I have reminded myself please know that failure on my part will be remedied very soon. Please don’t let the bad reviews sway your desire to write more. I know from following you that you have a lot on your plate in real life but please keep writing because I will for sure keep reading. There are I am so sure many more of us that love your work than not. Keep on keeping on!
Mary · December 20, 2019 at 5:02 pm
Do not read online reviews! Or have somebody else pre-approve them first. (Online reviews tend to be garbage). But I’ve been remiss on the reviewing front. This weekend I’ll post a few reviews. You’re a wonderful writer.
The Real Person!
Thanks, you guys. You’re all truly awesome. <3
Kris Walls · December 21, 2019 at 7:24 pm
I love your writing and can’t wait for each new book you release. Just wanted you to know that.
Marsha · December 22, 2019 at 4:03 am
When I 1st started reviewing what I read, I had a hard time saying anything negative. I grew up believing “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything.” Then someone told me, I didn’t have to be rude, just comment on what was wrong, such as grammer or misspellings. That way authors could get better. So even if I don’t enjoy a book, that’s on me because I picked it. Maybe it was a genre that I don’t normally read. That’s not the author’s fault. That’s YOUR story. You were brave enough to put it out there for us to enjoy. So if you get a review that is from one of those that just likes to write hateful things ( yes I’ve seen those out there) and doesn’t help you improve, like some of those earlier comments “fuck ’em”. Keep writing because those of us without the talent you have appreciate it. So thank you!
Patricia OHara · December 22, 2019 at 6:09 pm
Personally, I try hard not to write a negative review. At least a 4star if the book is not up to par. I am an serious reader,this year almost 400 books have been read by me. I have given 2 and 3 stars if the book sounds like something I would have written with a terrible story line and the writing is very stunted and as much as I hate to say it childishly written, but even those I hate to discourage a writer from taking up the pen so to speak. I have always enjoyed your books so please dont be discouraged enough to trade writing for teaching. You have way to much talent as a writer to give up.stay positive and let the bad reviews go down the tube and forget them. They are probably written by some other old lady like me.
ryan · December 30, 2019 at 8:43 pm
I liked your book a lot. so dont let the trolls get you down. it was great and I think I will reread it.
I am eagerly waiting for the second book . It looks fucking awesome
Janyce · December 30, 2019 at 11:04 pm
Can I just say that The Princess of Dorsa is one of my favorite books? I read it in November and left a review on good reads and let me go ahead and share that review with you here “I loved this book. Period. I loved that it put me through various emotions from happiness to sadness to rolling my eyes to anger etc. . . I loved the twists and turns and I loved JOSLYN. It is so realistic for an author to create not only likable characters but also ones you can’t stand! The romance was beautiful and I love the concept of a princess falling in love with her female guard who helped her grow in so many ways. YAY FOR NON-TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS. GLARES AT MILA. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and cannot wait for the sequel.”
I always do little reviews of the books I read but I genuinely wanted to say I loved this book from the bottom of my heart. You have a way of making characters grow even the ones we don’t like very much. That alone is amazing because I know when I write it can sometimes be a struggle to give the charatcers depth along with already giving depth in a story. I loved this story and am so excited to see where it goes in the next installment. I could reread The Princess of Dorsa over and over again and never get sick of it. I believe in you Eliza and I know I am not alone in saying so. Haters are gonna hate! You are doing great things and will only continue to grow and progress and your readers are proud of you!
The Real Person!
<3