Yesterday on my blog I wrote about people hurting each other and realised I left out a whole section of things that brought about me asking this question. 

The horrible internet troll ThatGirlTyson had to contend with in regard to her vlog about her dad.  I mean seriously...

Then there are of course the larger, most horrid things in the world which overshadow my little sensitivity.  War, terrorism, child molestation, female circumcision, rape, murder and violent assault to name a few.  Oh and then there is road rage.  I don’t think I should even start about the awful things people do to one another because they are cut off in traffic.

What motivates people to do the smallest of hurtful things to the largest of despicable things? I guess I will never understand. 

Perhaps it is ying and yang.  Good with bad.  Something positive happens and the karma is all great until the other side of the coin flips over.  Life pulling you in for a comforting hug and then slapping you in the face with the other hand.  Unfair things happen to good people all the time, yet nasty people... not so much.  That is why prisons are full and innocent children die.  Maybe it is the good people who feel it, who suffer the most.  Envy and nastiness will only destroy the person who carries it and then spreads it around.  What goes around comes around.  But does it?

So from my Terrible Tuesday last week to this Tuesday I’ve seen the ying and yang.  I’ve had the most exciting thing happen to me but with it came a price.  One which had me questioning whether I could or should go on.  Delete my files and cut my loses.  BUT I remember how lucky I am.  I have a family who love me.  Two beautiful children and friends I cherish.  I have a roof over my head and I have not had to suffer through earthquakes like our dear Beegirl in Christchurch. 

I just wish more people would think about the consequences of their actions before they do them and consider exactly how they would feel if the roles were reversed.

Tomorrow – Empty Chairs review.

This was how it started.  It’s been a week.  I read an emotional story, Empty Chairs, and wondered how people do this to each other and their family.  Since writing this blog last week, Stacy has had further turmoil and it sickens me that some people are just so evil.  It came from my daughter encountering a bully at school.  It is about being bullied myself at school.  It is about how words can sting.  The subject I’m going to cover is a pebble in a pond but relevant to the feeling of hurt.  I have banged on about it a bit already... but it has taken me days to get over it.  It has, in a way, overshadowed my ‘success’ and I allowed this to happen.  I enabled the hurt and drove people nuts with my moans.  Instead of being completely happy about the amazing rise, I sulked.  I have since kicked myself in the butt and said ‘You are lucky!  There are other people who would love to be in your position.’  However, I let it be tainted regardless.  I hope this blog is something all writers can relate to. 

With success comes the jibes, and nastiness.  Now I knew I would need a thick skin being a writer.  I encountered some of this on authonomy.  Yet as I sit amazed by the past week I still find the bad review stings.  Sure not everyone is going to like everything they read.  I know I don’t.  Sure I have not written the next Pulitzer Prize.  I have never claimed to have written anything but fluff.  But we all want people to like our tomes.  And we all want to be liked.  Don’t we?

I have never given a bad review to anyone.  This could be to do with being intimidated by confrontation.  It could also mean I like to be liked.  I like to think it is because I am nice.  Do unto others?  If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all.  So what motivates someone to take the time to write a bad review?  They really passionately didn’t like it.  So I think, great I made this person feel.  It may have been vitriol but it was driven by emotion nevertheless.

We write because we have to, we want to be read.  Unfortunately that comes with a price.  I, of course, do not know the motivations behind the nasty review.  There could be a perfectly good reason to slam.  Like I said, I don’t claim to be a literary genius.  I would like people to get out of my story what I get from others.  Light, love filled entertainment.  Don’t take it personally is really what should be considered.  But how can one not when they have poured their heart and soul into something they truly believe in.  Does a nasty reviewer remember there is a person behind the words?

I know I claim to be a ‘writer’ but in essence I’m more like a storyteller.  There are so many writers I am awe-inspired by and know I will never be that writer.  But commercial books sell regardless of your writing prowess.

Twilight is the case in point or even The Da Vinci Code.  Now I am not saying that I am in the same ballpark as these books, far from it!  But the point is, millions of people loved the books.  Loads hated them, stating them to be poor.  Maybe they were.  I liked them but I write fluff.  Yet these books sold ridiculous amounts.  I can only wish I could do this well.  I have been so lucky to have this amazing, dare I say, success but I like to think some of it has to do with my storytelling ability.  My ego thinks I do alright, sometimes.

I could never have anticipated what would happen.  I dreamed of course that it would.  I want to entertain people as they have me.  I want someone to read my book and get lost by the sheer romantic fluff of it all.  I hope that out there that is happening, somewhere.

So today on Manic Monday, I reflect on my week and thank my VERY supportive friends who helped my bruised pride cope with rejection and bad reviews.  I also want to send a special thank you to Tim.  Thank you for putting up with and encouraging the sensitive writer!