Do You Listen?

 

Anyone else dealing with lots of the crappy white stuff?

Whether you are. Whether you aren't.

Listen up for second.

They say...who they are, beats me....but they say that each snowflake is different. No two are exactly the same.

And that's it for me. We are done. No need to listen any longer.

Wasn't that an easy post? You calling me lazy? Didn't we go over this? I'm just not listening.

Okay. I guess I wasn't thorough enough to be through. Or through enough to be thorough? Take your pick on which one you like best.

Why do you listen?

We aren't talking about things like when that little voice in your head tells you not to run the very slow driver off the road. Listen to that. Unless you're into four walls and a cell for a few years. I suppose that would be one way to get some writing time.

We are talking about all the nitpicking. The scoffs. Sometimes even the good stuff.

Yes. It is nice to hear the good stuff, but does it change anything with your finished work? Does it help you improve? If not...Don't Listen! You don't ever want to be up in your own head so much that you forget to strive to improve.

How does this relate to snowflakes? Well just like every snowflake is different, so they say, every person is different. You will never please everyone. No matter how much you want to, how much you try, how much you beg, it will never ever happen. Trying to please, listening to please, or anything of the like will just make you miserable and/or leave you insane.

Instead, stay mostly sane and not miserable and know that even though, much like snowflakes, you can't see it behind your screen, each person is different. Unless it is critical, whether bad or good, and you can learn or grow from it...Don't Listen!

It doesn't have to be all or nothing. There is good advice, but then there is bad advice disguised as good advice. Maybe the latter is what this is. Who knows? Ask a mime to get an answer. That last one is likely bad advice, so don't listen.

If you make it a habit not to listen then you will make it a habit not to let things bother you.

Pretty soon many writers, probably been a fair amount already, will get accused of using AI to write their stories.

Again, you know the truth, don't listen. The more you engage with those who are just trying to get under your skin, on your back, or whatever other idiom body part saying you can think of, then the more they will engage.

The only opinion people like that want to hear is their opinion coming out of your, or another's, mouth.

Don't listen.

And if you need help not listening then picture yourself as two dogs who act deaf, but are always ready to bark at a squirrel. Maybe you could even try barking at the trolls. Could work. Hey! A rubber room gives you plenty of alone time to write as well. Also, it's more fun and bouncy than the other type of cell.

But who am I? Maybe you have a better way. If so....Don't Listen!

Unless your way is to pretend to be an ostrich and stick your head in the ground. That can't be good for you. Think of the worms that may crawl into your ears.

What do you do not to listen? Do you listen too much to what is said about your work? Do you listen too much to what is said about you in general?

Feel free to leave any tips. I might listen. Or I might bark. 

Depends on the day.