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[Books] [Coming Soon] [Contests] [Free Stuff] [Links] [Meet Mary] [Newsletter] [New Releases] [Podcasts] [Home] |
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Reviews"The storyline was pure reading heaven..." - Talia Ricci, Joyfully Reviewed, for Riding Partner "This
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and is full of some hot bed play." Marina, Cupid's Library Reviews for Revealing
Photos " UNDER HER SKIN is so much more than a wonderful romance, it’s
a lesson in love and acceptance. It is an experience not to be missed."
Recent Posts
A Series of Writing Posts - Banish Negativity Great new review for TREATY OF SEDUCTION New Release: For Love and Country by Mary Winter Writing Wednesday: the WGA strike & my TV habits Make a Difference Monday: They want WHAT? for a cat Writing Wednesday: Tracking Progress and Making Goals My January newsletter is up! Make a Difference Monday: Feral Cats New Release: His Magical Student The Twelve Days of Christmas: Thank You
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So in the first post we talked a lot about internal negativity. You know, that little voice in the back of your head that you'd like to stomp to ittybitty bits. And is the desire to stomp this little voice into bits simply feeding more negativity? Ahh, the philosophical questions we find ourselves asking. This next post--and I'll try to deal with this as diplomatically as possible--is about external negativity. Going to throw a standard disclaimer here and say that this is my opinion. Your mileage may vary. Having been in this business a while, I believe external negativity comes from a few different sources. The first source, and probably largest one we deal with, is other writers, published or pre-published. For the most part, the writing world is a pretty great place. Authors help other authors. We answer questions, steer the newly published along a hopefully profitable road, band together for events, and in short, make this creative world a fun place to be. However there are times, whether it's dealing with a professional organization (or chapter thereof), dealing with other authors at the same, or different house, or dealing with others when negativity will creep in. How do you battle it? First, don't take it personally. This is a tough one for me. I mean this is our careers, our dreams, our hopes and our futures that we're talking about. Not taking it personally is tough. But it's important to remember that whatever issues have driven the individuals to negativity probably aren't about you, it's about them. Second, use whatever steps you feel are necessary to get away from the negativity. If that means leaving your professional organization or chapter, do it. If that means judiciously using your email program's spam filters and junk mail filters, do it. If that means stepping away from an author's group, do it. The only person who is going to look out for you is, well, you. When it comes to taking care of yourself, it's up to you to do what you feel is necessary. Third, find a support group. Whether it's your friends, a few trusted writer associates, whatever, make sure you have people around you who love and support you. Lean on them when you need to. It's okay. It really is. Although I only mentioned one source of external negativity, there are others. However the great thing is the three steps above will help you, regardless of the source. If it's a blog or website--don't read it! If you need some support from a particularly cutting remark your editor said, lean on friends and family. And the last piece of advice is to keep this all in perspective. Writing consumes so much of our psyches. It's our creativity, our outlet, these characters who come along for a ride during our lives and then proceed to commentary on everything. It's a passion for most people, something they have to be doing. It's way too easy to let the drama that happens in this business sweep you away. Keep it in perspective. There are other things out there. Your kids. Your home. Your spouse. Your hobbies. Your family. Your day job. Don't let your writing eat away at everything else that's important in your life.  
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