Some time ago, when the Earth was still young, I was wont
to write an article for the station magazine.
I did this every month for five years without missing a
month. Appended to the article, which was about sea angling, was a cartoon.
Every month. Without fail.
The article was called ‘Casting Around’ because, when I
started it, I was ‘casting around’ for something to write. The sea-angling
organisation was in its infancy at that time.
At an early point in my submission of journalistic
writings for the magazine, imaginatively called ‘Force 8’ because of the high
winds for which the area was notorious, I had an idea. Why not, I thought,
write a story for the magazine.
Filled with an earnest desire to please and a youthful
zest for accomplishment I duly wrote a story.
A short
story. A very short story. Possibly no more than a thousand words.
Proud of my
work and creative artistry, I decided to take the story to the editor’s office
by hand. This was instead of putting it into the internal mail.
The thought
was father to the deed.
I tapped on
the door and a voice called, “Come.”
‘Curt,’ I
thought.
The other
side of a large desk was an officer, a Flight Lieutenant. He didn’t look up so
I placed the story on his desk.
Again,
without looking up, he said, “What is it?”
“A short
story for inclusion in the Station magazine,” I spoke briskly, as one does.
He glanced up
at last, “I hardly believe that a Corporal in the Technical Branch is capable
of stringing sufficient words together to form a cohesive sentence let alone
write a story.”
He chuckled at his own, perceived, perspicuity and pushed the
story back towards me with his finger nail without looking up again.
Arrogance?
Condescension?
I mentioned
these words on my way out. He said something about “...not being the last I
have heard of this...”
I heard no
more, of course.
Something all
authors need is support. From friends and family.
We need this
so that we can focus on turning our creative juices into ‘cohesive sentences’.
Friends who
tell me that they have no regard for my writing abilities would be best served
by saying nothing. Other friends who tell me that they will stick to reading
books by ‘real writers’ (Stephen King and Amanda Hocking were suggested) would,
similarly, be well advised to say nothing.
I have
mentioned before, under a ‘Blog’ entitled ‘Reviews’, that constructive
criticism is welcome but being ‘put down’ and the subject of derision by
persons who have not read my stories is insulting and dispiriting.
Fellow
authors, you should be aware that these people who are full of negativity are to be vigorously ignored.
Look, discard
and think positive.
Perhaps that
editor, if he still lives, may be given pause to reflect now that I have many
books on ‘Amazon’ and many more to come.
Support is
not only welcome but vital. Do not be frightened to explain this to friends and
family. You are not ignoring them you are doing what you must for you and that
is something they need to recognise.
Good luck.
