It's Hard not to Hate You

This week's reading includes It's Hard Not to Hate You by Valerie Frankel.  This was on the new shelves for non-fiction at the library and I had mixed feelings going in - unleashing your Inner Hater is not really in keeping with my philosophy about life.  On the other hand, it's pretty funny.  And then I got to the part about writerly hatred, and I fell in love.  She talks about the opposite of schadenfreude - instead of feeling pleasure at other people's misfortune, we feel misery at other people's successes.

I don't know a single writer that doesn't feel this at one time or another. Frankel writes:

The rich. The thin. The beautiful. I’ve got no problem with them. If the world’s wealthiest, hottest woman walked into my office and asked for a cup of coffee, I’d get it. But if she said, “Guess what? My first novel just hit the New York Times bestsellers list!”?

Hate. She could get her coffee in hell.

I went online and bought the Nook book right then and there.  And I think it's funny that I read this during World Fantasy Convention weekend, where between all the air kisses and back-slapping and genuine happiness for others, there's a good deal of jealousy and cattiness and gossip.  It's part of the package.  Writer A is jealous of Writer B, Writer B is jealous of Writer C - it doesn't end.

On the other hand, I've been reading a lot of Brad Warner's Zen Buddhist books lately, and one of the principle tenets that I'm working on embracing is that there is no other.  When I look at you, I am seeing myself look out of your eyes back at me.  Hating a successful writer means hating myself.  And there is no self, which makes it all the more futile.  I'm on a Brad binge - four books in six weeks - so more on him later.

You can read more about Valerie Frankel and writerly hatred here.

You can read Brad Warner's blog here.

Writing spots

This past week I have written in Starbucks, Panera's #1, Panera's #2, the UNF library 4th floor, the UNF library 2nd floor, and from the comfort of home.  Unfortunately the comfort of home is oft disturbed by senile!cat's yowling or kittens!knocking things over, hence Starbucks, Panera's, and UNF.  I did try to write at Barnes and Noble, but the cafe was jammed and this store doesn't have any other seating.

Going to Starbucks or Panera's isn't necessarily good for my waist line or wallet, but it's been good for productivity.  I've been writing about 1,000 new words a day on teen mystery 2 as well as revising earlier chapters.  The manuscript is due on Dec 1 and I'm very confident about getting there, especially with this coming week off from the day classes.  But I did promise to write 2 other stories due on Nov, so I foresee more passion tea lemonade in my immediate future.

I don't usually wear headphone when I'm writing in public because what's the fun in that?  Eavesdrop, baby!  Great for picking up lines of dialogue or new views on the world.  This is from a conversation overheard while clothes shopping:

Woman #1:  You can't wear that jacket with teal pants.  They won't approve.
Woman #2:   Who is they?
Woman #1:  The people who wear clothes that match.

In other news, senile!cat is meowing right this minute because she knows I'm trying to post.  Everyone say hi to Leia!

Writing spots

his past week I have written in Starbucks, Panera's #1, Panera's #2, the UNF library 4th floor, the UNF library 2nd floor, and from the comfort of home.  Unfortunately the comfort of home is oft disturbed by senile!cat's yowling or kittens!knocking things over, hence Starbucks, Panera's, and UNF.  I did try to write at Barnes and Noble, but the cafe was jammed and this store doesn't have any other seating.

Going to Starbucks or Panera's isn't necessarily good for my waist line or wallet, but it's been good for productivity.  I've been writing about 1,000 new words a day on teen mystery 2 as well as revising earlier chapters.  The manuscript is due on Dec 1 and I'm very confident about getting there, especially with this coming week off from the day classes.  But I did promise to write 2 other stories due on Nov, so I foresee more passion tea lemonade in my immediate future.

I don't usually wear headphone when I'm writing in public because what's the fun in that?  Eavesdrop, baby!  Great for picking up lines of dialogue or new views on the world.  This is from a conversation overheard while clothes shopping:

Woman #1:  You can't wear that jacket with teal pants.  They won't approve.
Woman #2:   Who is they?
Woman #1:  The people who wear clothes that match.

In other news, senile!cat is meowing right this minute because she knows I'm trying to post.  Everyone say hi to Leia!