It's finally Friday, and I've got to say, it's about time. It's been one of Those Weeks. Not the sort that are hideously bad or anything, but the sort that drag on, where things don't seem to go quite the way you intended and you wish you were doing something other than you are, no matter what the "are" is.
Wow. That sentence confused me and I wrote it. It's been one of Those Mornings already. :)
I've been reading the RWA Pro workshop this week (shh, I haven't turned in my PAN paperwork, yet, I'm still allowed to be there) and Jennifer Greene made a comment about how silly (my words, not hers) this writer-based need for validation is. I have to agree, but I'm not sure that there's much we can do about it. Writing is, as dozens of people have said, a very solitary business. We don't go out and interact with other people and as much fun as a mailing list can be, they're not usually full of people stroking our egos.
So we want and reach for praise from wherever we can get it. We hope people like our writing and I, at least, try to assume that people do even if they don't tell me so right out, but there's nothing quite like hearing a real, honest to goodness statement of, "It was good!"
I'm hoping to get out and do things this long weekend. Here's hoping you and yours find something fun to do as well.
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4 comments:
I've been thinking about validation and self esteem a lot over the last few months. I always, always feel more grounded and happy when my sense of self worth comes from within.
Of course, I sometimes forget this. ;-)
I know I get quite a warm glow when my crit group says "yeah, this works!" -- but I really try not to let praise define my feelings of worth about my writing.
Lynne: I agree, I feel better when my validation comes from within, but I keep looking for the occasional crumb from without.
Pam: I try not to, too. I love the moments when I look at something I've written that no one else has seen and think it's fantastic.
I feel a little of both type of praise is important. It is incredibly awesome to read something I wrote and feel good about it. If I don't feel good about my writing, what are others going to say?
And this is coming from someone who likes to call her work "poop", but it's all in fun really.
But of course hearing others compliment my writing is also very good validation too.
Bear with me and my rambling. I haven't felt good all weekend and am not all here :)
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