When I decided to publish "Dead Man's Breath", I knew full well that it would come with its fair share of criticism. Being in wrestling for 25 years, I am no stranger to critics. It goes with the territory.
On one hand, many of you have been very generous with your compliments on Amazon, social media, and via text messages and I am extremely grateful. I realize you can't take the good without the bad.
Some of the criticisms have been constructive and I am as grateful for them as I am for the compliments. I will use them to improve and (hopefully) make future works better.
Where I take issue is the random comments that are neither constructive nor necessary. Just cheap shots intended to make the source seem clever or cool but having the exact opposite effect.
I cannot and will not engage in a social media debate with what I believe are referred to as "trolls". As the old saying goes, never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.
It's safe to say that I have thick skin and while I don't take the comments to heart as hurtful, some of them darken my mood. I make a conscious effort to add a splash of positivity to each and every day, whether it's celebrating random "holidays" like National Gumbo Day, or reading a Bible verse or quote for inspiration. To that end, I take equal effort in eliminating negative people and situations from my life.
Currently, I am juggling a pair of double-edged swords. Being a novice author, I am trying to build my brand and promote my book. Managing social media effectively is crucial in accomplishing either in the current world. However, being on social media lately is a very negative experience due to multiple factors.
I am trying to find that happy balance and haven't yet been able to do so.
In the meantime, I will do my best to keep this quote in mind:
“A creative life cannot be sustained by approval any more than it can be destroyed by criticism.” - Will Self
Hopefully, my next blog will have a brighter tone. Thank you and I'll talk to you soon.