Hello My Writing Warriors!
I hope you all had a tremendous MLK Day and are rested and relaxed and ready to live the dream that Dr. King so magnificently and powerfully articulated. Now is the time my writing warriors for us all to step up and go forth with our sword arm swinging and take this bull of a year by the horns and conquer. We can do it. I know we can.
Today in this JFW! I want to talk about an important subject and that is how to deal with the inevitable haters that spring forth whenever we put our work out to be judged.
How do we deal with the vitriol and noxious attitude of the hater in this light speed, interconnected, warp eleven culture that we find ourselves in? How do we summon the courage to create when we know that the haters are lining up outside our door waiting to pounce? How do we, not just survive, but thrive as artists and creators in this brave new world?
First, we must know our enemy. To my mind there are only two species of Haters: The Troll and the Vampire. Let’s examine them both.
The Troll is the most common and abundant form of Hater. They can be found on every street corner, underneath every bridge, and in every dingy back alley. The Troll has multiplied by the thousands with the arrival of the internet. They’ve always been around, but now they have an outlet for their bile and hate. The troll is essentially a coward, but they can really get under your skin if you let them.
The troll lacks finesse, style or any grace in their hate. They usually use profanity in their attacks and reveal themselves to be child like and stupid. Feel sorry for the troll for they live a lonely and isolated existence.
The best tactic for dealing with the troll is to ignore them. Don’t strike back because the troll is looking for a response. They feed off of our discomfort and strife. Don’t let them grind you down.
The other species of hater is the vampire. The vampire is a tricky customer to deal with. Like the troll, they feed off of discomfort and strife, but unlike the troll, the vampire can be scary and dangerous. The vampire can usually be found in positions of authority and power. They are almost always professional critics of some sort and wield the power of pen ruthlessly to strike fear into the heart of many a creative artist. Many a writer who has taken up criticism has fallen to the dark side and become a vampire. Many an artist has fallen victim to their power.
The vampire possesses skill, cunning, and resolve. They will carve you up if you let them. The best way to deal with them is ignore them as well, but unfortunately there are times when you must respond and confront the vampire.
If the vampire attacks your good name then you must strike back. Understand this, the work is open game for criticism, but you the artist doing the work are important. If a vampire goes after you personally then put a stake through that bastard’s heart.
The iPhone is now ten years old and we have quickly come to realize (much to our shock and surprise) that maybe too much of something can be a dangerous thing. The smart phone in the wrong hands has given rise to a legion of haters. However, there is no going back my dear writing warriors. The haters may be multiplying by the hour, but we must do our best to fight back and create. Success is the best revenge. It is the sweetest form of payback and the only one we should actively seek.
Well, that is all I have to say about haters. It is unfortunate that some of our fellow travelers on this magnificent planet have chosen the path of darkness, but that is the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. If life gives you lemons then you build a lemonade stand. If a hater crosses your path or darkens your doorstep then strengthen your resolve and just keep on writing. That is the path of the artist and the warrior.
Until next time my Writing Warriors!
TC
