Every so often you receive an email from someone who was affected by your writing, and it serves to remind you of why you do what you do. Emails like the one below are one of the perks of slogging through and seeing your work get published. It brought tears to my eyes.
"After our correspondence last week I clicked over to your blog and finally (finally!) decided to read Pen on Fire. I’ve been resisting for a few years now, sort of like how you should go to the doctor and solve your health issue, but knowing that when you bite the bullet and do it you’ll have to make lifestyle changes that you’re not quite willing to make yet? Yep, that’s why I didn’t read it for a long time, but finally I was ready and I just could not put it down. Every chapter touched on something important that either reassured me or taught me something new. You’re a terrific teacher and a talented, honest writer, and I appreciate it so much. Good luck with your novel." - Gretchen Roberts, www.smartsimplewoman.com
Nice, huh?
Emails can go either way, of course. You can receive something that can dent your day, too.
Any recent emails in your life that simply made you glad?
Visitors from around the planet (added 5/31/11)
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3 comments:
"Any recent emails in your life that simply made you glad?"
Yes, and for several different reasons.
As a BikeBlogger, of 4 years, with a miniscule audience, but a worldwide one, I find myself getting emails maybe once a month, sometimes more, from people commenting on something I've written, and/or thanking me for the resources in the sidebar.
On my other Blog, one more personal, and political, that I've written for 5 years, and has less an audience than the BikeBlog, essays, and other posts, have stirred people to comment, and e-mail.
This Blog has been a place for me to explore my talent for poetry, and other "creative" writing, and some of those poems have deeply affected some people.
My point is this:
Blogging has been one of those things that changed my life.
At a time when I was just re-discovering my writing talents, becoming a Blogger gave me places to express myself, and get the very occasional feedback.
This led me to search out books on writing, such as yours, and include links to writing websites in the sidebar of my 5 year old Blog.
Now here's the twist in this feel good story that might have you scratching your head:
In the last 3 years I've collected these resources, but due to a busy, sometimes disorganized, life, I've only read maybe 3 of the books. ;-D
BUT, I have not stopped writing poetry, and other creative writing!
Now I am closing the 5 yr. old Blog, and am about to start a new one, moving my creative writing, and resources, there, and putting my interests in writing, among other non-politics things, front, and center, with the intent to read, and learn from, those books, and visit, and learn from, those websites.
Will my audience grow? I doubt it, and I don't care.
If audience share mattered, I, and millions of others, would have quit Blogging/writing long ago. ;-D
Through Google Searches the people will come, and if they like the writing, and find something useful in the collection of links, then that makes it worthwhile.
Would I like to someday make money from my writing, and not just from Ads, sure, don't we all?
I'll just take 1 day at a time, and see what happens.
Oh, And I'm gonna read your book again, and check out your Blogs more often, too.
I like what you have to say, and have to offer. ;-D
It's one reason why I link to you. ;-D
I had my first professional (read: paid) piece of fiction published in February. And I got an email from a reader who really liked it, and got it--it was wonderful to hear.
My brother died suddenly in England, where he lived. Our family received more than 50 sympathy-laden emails from his colleagues at work. They were kind, gracious, emotional -- but the one that hit me at the center was this one:
"Can't believe it, mate.
Gutted."
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