A thirteen year old boy got a two-book deal the other day. What is the appropriate response from another writer:
A) Good for him!
B) If he can do it, I can do it!
C) I hope he falls off his bike!
I'm hoping you opted for either A or B or both but it's easy to get jealous when you hear about others getting published or produced and you're still waiting, or if a book you consider sub-par (possibly "written" by a celebrity) is selling like hotcakes and your book is somewhere north of millionth place on Amazon.
How to overcome it? Here's what works for me:
First, don't be too hard on yourself for being human. It's a natural impulse and it's only a problem if it stays around and makes you bitter.
Second, remind yourself it's not actually a competition. The fact that somebody else's book got published or doesn't mean yours can't or won't.
Third, focus your attention back on your own writing and making that as good as it can be. That's almost always the best therapy for any stress or unhappiness related to the ups and downs of this line of work (or way of life).
(You can also take comfort in the strange experiences of the best writers, classic and modern. You'll find mini-bios and interesting facts about them, as well as their advice to aspiring writers in "Your Creative Writing Masterclass," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)
