Have you ever met an author? Yes. Well then, here is another question for you. Have you ever met an author who didn't like to ask people to read her stories? This is me in a nutshell. I love to write and it's been a goal of mine since the fifth grade to write books, however, when it comes to actually asking people to read my stories, I find myself extremely hesitant. I do believe it started when my father, a man I deeply respect and love, had some critiques about my first book or I should say, about the editing job done on my first book, Mira's View. I was so hurt -mind you, it wasn't necessarily me he was critiquing but my editor-because I had taken it personally that I stewed on it and spent weeks deciding what I needed to do to make my stories something everyone would love. It was during those weeks that I struggled the most to write. My problem. I was focusing too much on what others wanted instead of what made me happy or how I saw my stories playing out.
After I came to this conclusion, I decided the best course of action was to remove myself from situations where someone else's opinion ruled over my writing process. For this reason, I stay away from reviews. I know, it's something an author really needs in order to get other people to read their stories. Don't worry, I still get them. I just don't read them. When people do say they've read my book, I don't ask them what they thought. It's nothing against them, I just choose not to let their opinion, good or bad, influence my writing. Am I happy when people like my stories or books? Absolutely! I just choose not to focus on them.
You see, the key to a good hobby, is finding something that you enjoy because it makes you happy. I have the same problem with my paintings. I love to paint, but not so big on showing them off. You see, the world is made for critiquing and telling you how they would do it or how it can be done better. But when you focus on those, you lose a love. A way to escape the stress of everyday life. Let's face it, we have plenty of stress in our lives. I am a wife, a mother of five, I teach, and I am a preschool supervisor, which in essence is like a vice principal. I edit other people's books on the side, plus I like to dabble in the travel agent business. Is it too much, probably, which is why I take enjoyment in the simple things like painting and writing. Those are things that I do for me, to give my mind a break from everything else that is happening in life. So if you do find a hobby, don't let anyone else tell you how to do it or how you can do it better. Go out there and enjoy it!