An absolutely necessary part of a writer’s equipment, almost as
necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment,
both the punishment the world hands out and the punishment he
inflicts upon himself. – Irwin Shaw
Very cool essay on Romancing the Blog, about taking “Pride in Romance.” It was a comforting read. When I first began writing romance novels, I could not foresee the poor opinion some people would develop about me, an opinion which always inspired the same thought: “Wow, you’re snotty.” There were other thoughts, too, but I won’t share those here. Of course, even within the romance genre there are snots – the recent hoo-ha with RWA is a fine example of that. Sci-fi and Fantasy writers have them, too, along with Mystery and the “Literary Fiction” types.
My point, I suppose, is that you need to be proud of what you do and who you are, no matter what. There are always going to be people who think they’re better than you – whether it’s because of what you’re wearing, who you love, or what you write – but don’t take it to heart. Don’t let it stop you from doing what brings you joy. Life is too short.
And if that doesn’t encourage you, then remember this: Success is the best revenge. And being happy? Even sweeter.