Matthew: "Nobody hates you. Just a couple people. And you can't please everybody." A few weeks ago, I started a hate war:
See?
Of course, I had no idea what article the anonymous reader was referring to or why he felt that my words were worthy of investigation by the minister of foreign affairs — I'm probably guilty of adorable writing at an American's expense, or something — but the email rubbed me the wrong way.
Anger. Then a flood of tears.
Four mean emails — "I can't believe you get paid to write this!" — ended up in my inbox that week.
This week, I received three encouraging emails. Two of them were from subjects of my stories. And so I keep writing.
I know that my industry is one of criticism and rejection. I know that online writing makes you vulnerable to anonymous trolls and troublemakers. I know that if I wrote, say, Twilight, and made a kajillion-and-a-half dollars, I'd still get hate mail — obviously — and the hurtful comments would still bum me out as I sipped champagne from my rooftop hot tub.
Dear literate friends, write your favourite writers fan mail. They don't get enough. And we need affirmation. Because we're insecure. Just ask our poor significant others.
Maybe I should just…monetize the hate.