What Are Your Thoughts On Professional Jealousy Amongst Writers?

[Stacy]

Hi All,

Came across this post from '09 on Steph in the City's blog. Wanted to share it.

http://stephie5741.blogspot.com/2009/08/dont-hate-me-because-im-pub...

What are your thoughts about jealousy, especially when it comes to writers?

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

 

 

[Jon Loomis]

We should always be open to change, Jack.

[Stacy]

That's a very positive attitude, Karen. I think if more aspiring writers had that attitude they'd get somewhere with their work. Part of the reason some people aren't able to reach their goals, in writing or otherwise is because of negativity. When you are jealous all the time of other people or spend your life being negative, instead of working on your writing and being the best writer you can be, you're shooting yourself in the foot from the beginning. You gotta believe in yourself first off. Then, you gotta not see others' successes as a knock to what you're trying to accomplish. Too many writers have the cut throat mentality and being negative never gets anywhere. Even if you're struggling, a positive attitude helps you get through the struggle far better than being negative or hateful towards others.

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

[Karyn J. Powers]

Ha, I'm not going to tell you my thoughts about jealousy. 'Cause they're mine, all mine! Bwa hahahahaha.

[Stacy]

Aww, no fair, Kayrn! You have to tell us or we're kicking you off the island, LOL!

Come on, seriously, share!

Best Wishes!

[Benjamin Sobieck]

There will always be someone better than you. I realized this after I started reading Leonard. The way the man captures characters through dialogue is something I will always strive to attain. But that's not so much jealousy as admiration.

The real problem is if there is never someone worse than you. Then it's OK to be jealous.

[Stacy]

Dan, you don't have to be published to have an opinion about this. You know about jealousy and envy in real life and in other aspects (like your other career or job, etc). It's the same thing, LOL. Share how you feel personally about it. Do you find that being jealous of others motivates or hurts? Some folks say it motivates and I can see that. I think we all get jealous and folks who say they don't, well they need to stop lying, LOL! Jealousy is a human emotion and you can't control it. But there is a difference between being the "normal" jealous and the dangerous kind where you are so obsessed with what others are doing that you never get your work done. Let's not forget that adds to the attitude some very jealous folks have that the world is out to get them and they never get their fair shake, yada, yada, yada.

I think there is good and bad jealousy. If the jealousy is something you don't let control you, but you control it, it's healthy. Jealousy is a strong emotion in life and love and it propels us to a lot of things sometimes and it can motivate.

There are a lot of emotions we can't control sometimes but it's what we take from them that makes them healthy. I've found that very jealous people are really the laziest and the ones who don't wanna work hard and always looking for shortcuts. Especially in writing. These are people who look at others who are getting agents and publishers and go, "What's so great about her? My writing's better than hers." But the real question is, what has this jealous person done to fuel their career or to get closer to these goals? How hard have they really worked?

Most of the most jealous writers I've encountered are unpublished ones who DID NOT wanna put in the work. They expected to throw up one draft of a book and get it published. They didn't wanna read any books on writing that helped them, didn't wanna study their craft, didn't wanna mingle with other writers (published especially) and learn from them because they were too jealous. They didn't wanna hear criticism or hear that they "just weren't good enough right now". What they wanted was smoke blown up their butts and they wanted to write one shabby draft and get an agent and publishing contract in one sitting. They didn't realize it was actually work to become a decent writer and much more work to try to get published.

Those are the ones I see jealous the most (in all walks of life, not just writing), people who thought it would be easy and who didn't understand that maybe the folks that are getting what you aren't, are putting in the work that you've been avoiding.

Food for thought. You try to tell some of these jealous folks that, but of course they aren't the type to listen, LOL.

Best Wishes

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

[John Desjarlais]

Jealousy is hardly constructive. If it can be transformed into admiration, then a person can learn something and perhaps be motivated. Jealousy is only a good motive for murder, not writing better and getting published. "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's pubs," goes the commandment - something like that. Anyway, the mystery community is full of supportive, caring people and I've always been impressed with how open and welcoming everyone has been. At conferences, I've had lunch with 'big names' - Tess Gerritson, Joe Konrath, Jeffrey Deaver and so on - and everyone is SO nice and humble and helpful. There are a VERY FEW who are arrogant about their accomplishments and want others to feel jealousy, I suppose, but I feel pity for them instead.

[I. J. Parker]

This is quite true, though I haven't met very many famous writers. My fault. I was afraid to seem pushy.