Just read an article via Twitter on friends reading books. I mean books that their friends have written. I thought about this when I posted on FaceBook today. I asked for some feedback on Games of Adversaries, because although I've had two wonderful reviews and friends have told me they loved it, I've had very little feedback so far. So far, because the book has barely been out five minutes, that is wonderful. I am just impatient to know what people think, that is all.
But that article certainly made me think. Because you are placing people you know in a dilemma. I am pretty thick skinned when it comes to my writing. I have never expected everyone to love my stories or my style and in truth it shouldn't matter too much what other people think because an author always writes for themselves *first*, and we do, no doubt about that, but if you want to keep writing even for pleasure, it takes time. So a little bit of reimbursment does not go amiss.
I am not talking money here, although I won't deny that helps enormously. A writer writes, it is what they do because somehow they cannot help themselves. But it is nice now and then to know that others enjoy your work. It gives you even more incentive to keep going.
So, in a few words. You certainly don't have to like my novels, even if you are my best friend :) Healthy criticism is just great. Question why I wrote something by all means. My vision isn't yours and sometimes it is great to brainstorm or thrash a few issues out.
Any author worth their salt (in my opinion not neccessarily anyone else's) can only improve and they do that by keep writing and listening.
But that article certainly made me think. Because you are placing people you know in a dilemma. I am pretty thick skinned when it comes to my writing. I have never expected everyone to love my stories or my style and in truth it shouldn't matter too much what other people think because an author always writes for themselves *first*, and we do, no doubt about that, but if you want to keep writing even for pleasure, it takes time. So a little bit of reimbursment does not go amiss.
I am not talking money here, although I won't deny that helps enormously. A writer writes, it is what they do because somehow they cannot help themselves. But it is nice now and then to know that others enjoy your work. It gives you even more incentive to keep going.
So, in a few words. You certainly don't have to like my novels, even if you are my best friend :) Healthy criticism is just great. Question why I wrote something by all means. My vision isn't yours and sometimes it is great to brainstorm or thrash a few issues out.
Any author worth their salt (in my opinion not neccessarily anyone else's) can only improve and they do that by keep writing and listening.
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