Quell those Negative Thoughts
by
Miriam Drori
I’ve been asked to write a ‘How-to’ article for writers. Me
– what do I know that other writers don’t? Wait… is that me talking or my poor
self-esteem? There must be some advice I can give. Well, yes, on my blog, “An’
de world came tumblin’ down,” aka miriamdrori.com, I’ve started to
show writers what they could be doing with Microsoft Word that would make their
lives easier. In my previous incarnation as a technical writer, I picked up
some valuable tips. Not all of them are of interest to authors, but several
are.
What else? What have I learned since becoming a published
writer? Oh yes, there was that one-star review…
Back in 2014, not long after my first novel, Neither Here
Nor There, was published, a one-star review appeared on Goodreads. My first
reaction to it, after registering anger and bitterness to some fellow writers
in a private Facebook group, was to look up the author of the review,
and I discovered the suburb of Jerusalem in which she lived. For me, that
helped to put her review in perspective. I’d always known that my book wouldn’t
be liked by all.
Tip 1: Remember, no book will be liked by everyone.
In the novel, the main character leaves a very large but
insular community. Even though anyone is free to leave it, I call it ‘escaping’
because she has to leave in secret and because it’s an enormous step for her.
Clearly anyone remaining in this community would be against this novel, despite
the fact that I didn’t portray their members in a bad light, in my view. My
reviewer, living in this particular suburb, must be either in the community or
very close to it.
Tip 2: If you can, find out about the reviewer’s
background and why it might colour his/her view of the book.
I read the review again and noted the points I agreed with
and those I didn’t. The former points weren’t good for my self-confidence as a
writer. But I remembered my book had been accepted for publication by my
publisher while the vast majority of those submitted had been rejected. This
was what prevented me from seriously thinking of giving up.
Tip 3: If a reviewer makes a negative remark that may
have some truth in it, learn from it. It might help you improve the novel in a
future version, or improve your writing in general.
One thing the reviewer wrote was that the ending was too predictable.
I shouted at her, “It’s a romance! How else could it end?” Fortunately, she
didn’t hear me and neither did anyone else. I wanted to reply to her, telling
her what I thought of her stupid comment. Fortunately, I was advised against
it. I’ve read attacks by authors on reviewers; they never put the author in a
good light.
Tip 4: Never respond to a reviewer except, possibly, to
thank them for the review.
Then I forgot about that review and concentrated on the
others. They made me feel good.
Tip 5: Read the good reviews. Read them again.
Some reviewers are just plain ignorant. They’re so ignorant
that they don’t even know they’re ignorant. I once started reading a review for
a book I’d read. The review contained a long list of ‘faults’ with the book.
The first one said the characters talked about degrees F, but no one in Britain
would measure temperatures in degrees F. My experience is that people in
Britain refer to temperatures in Fahrenheit even today. But this novel was set
in the 1960s when just about everyone talked of temperatures in Fahrenheit. I
didn’t bother to read the rest of the reviewer’s list.
Tip 6: However confident a reviewer sounds, there is no
guarantee that the reviewer is really as knowledgeable as they make out.
And one more tip…
Tip 7: All authors get lousy reviews.
Tell any author about your one-star review and they’ll tell
you about theirs.
Nevertheless, despite knowing that lousy reviews are
inevitable, I’m still hoping all the reviews for my brand-new novel, Cultivating
a Fuji, are full of stars and praise!
Introducing…
Cultivating a Fuji
Convinced that his imperfect,
solitary existence is the best it will ever be, Martin unexpectedly finds
himself being sent to represent his company in Japan. His colleagues think it’s
a joke; his bosses are certain he will fail. What does Martin think? He simply
does what he’s told. That’s how he’s survived up to now – by hiding his
feelings.
Amazingly, in the land of strange rituals, sweet
and juicy apples, and too much saké, Martin flourishes and achieves the
impossible. But that’s only the beginning. Keeping up the momentum for change
proves futile. So, too, is a return to what he had before. Is there a way
forward, or should he put an end to the search now?
Gradually, as you’ll see when Martin looks back
from near the end of his journey, life improves. There’s even a woman, Fiona,
who brings her own baggage to the relationship, but brightens Martin’s days.
And just when you think there can be no more surprises, another one pops up.
Throughout his life, people have laughed at ‘weirdo’
Martin; and you, as you read, will have plenty of opportunity to laugh, too. Go
ahead, laugh away, but you’ll find that there’s also a serious side to all
this…
Author Bio
–
Miriam Drori has decided she’s in the fifth and best
stage of her life, and she’s hoping it’ll last for ever. It’s the one in which
she’s happiest and most settled and finally free to do what she wants. Miriam
lives in a delightful house and garden in Jerusalem with her lovely husband and
one of three children. She enjoys frequent trips around the world. She dances,
hikes, reads and listens to music. And she’s realised that social anxiety is
here to stay, so she might as well make friends with it. On top of that, she
has moved away from computer programming and technical writing (although both
of those provided interest in previous stages) and now spends her time editing
and writing fiction. NEITHER HERE NOR THERE (currently unavailable), a romance
with a difference set in Jerusalem, was published in 2014. THE WOMEN FRIENDS,
co-written with Emma Rose Millar, is a series of novellas based on the famous
painting by Gustav Klimt. SOCIAL ANXIETY REVEALED (non-fiction) provides a comprehensive
description of social anxiety from many different viewpoints. CULTIVATING A
FUJI takes the social anxiety theme into fiction, using humour to season a
poignant story.
Giveaway
to Win copies of Neither Here No There and Social Anxiety Revealed
(Open Internationally)
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