No matter how many times I ask the dog this question, he never answers. I think he loves his daddy better and doesn't want to hurt my feelings.
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| Joel in his winter coat |
And you should visit LOTS of us. We are ALL insecure.
Now back to the question.
See... I'm not Joel's FAVORITE. And sometimes it can be hard to remember that doesn't mean he doesn't LOVE ME. He does.
As authors all of us crave love, but I think we can get lost in words like favorite... because if somebody ELSE is your favorite... I'm not. It is hard to keep focused on the idea that you can love LOTS of authors and it isn't cheating. We can let superstar success of our friends make us fear WE will never get there...
See, I don't actually believe people can only love one person (but accept I may be bendy that way). But I KNOW people can love LOTS of authors. And people who love ANY authors are more likely to love multiple authors. REJOICE in the success of your friends because it INCREASES the pool of those who may love YOU.
That's my story and I'm sticking with it.
...Liberating, isn't it? To say, 'Hey. These aren't my enemies or obstacles. They're the door-openers. Their excellence may open people's eyes to others' excellence.'
ReplyDeleteThat's a great thing!
Brava! I can feel it. Actually, I'm in that race right now. Aren't we all? Well put! The great thing about this hop is finding over and over the reassurance that we're not alone. (We're all nuts? Hmmmmm..... Let me find the right word... Stumbling off to get my Thesaurus...
Diana at About Myself By Myself
That's why I always struggle when people ask me about my favorite authors or books. How can I choose? I love them in different ways, for different reasons. :)
ReplyDeleteMadeline @ The Shellshank Redemption
Well said, Hart. We are capable of giving a lot of love, and the more we give, the more we can give.
ReplyDeleteWe have 3 cats, seniors, and the male cat loves me best. The 2 females love hubby best. If all 3 loved him best, I'd be in trouble.
ReplyDeleteHi, Hart. Thanks for visiting my blog!
Yep. I don't need to be anyone's favorite author. I just want to be one of the authors they like. There's plenty of room for us all.
ReplyDeleteYep! I agree. What you put out into the universe, you get back from the universe. Might as well send love. It's so much nicer than the opposite!
ReplyDeleteGreat story. Author love... beautiful! I agree. People can love LOTS of authors. Do hope I'll get some love, too. :-)
ReplyDeleteSpread the love around!
ReplyDeleteLovely post! So true!
ReplyDeleteVery true. I can't pick favourites anyway. We all have loveable aspects!
ReplyDeleteI just love that your dog's name is Joel. I don't know why, but I do. Great post and fingers crossed for you on the 13th!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there's a "poly-" word in there somewhere for that, but I'm not putting it together, right now.
ReplyDeleteI love all sorts of authors who write all sorts of genres because they all bring something amazing to the table, and I don't want to miss out.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I am my dogs' favorite person. But I do often bribe them with cookies and other treats.
Excellent post addressing the anxiety many authors feel.
ReplyDelete-James
Great post. Best wishes.
ReplyDeleteThat's some awesome advice, Hart. Like M.J. said: many authors, regardless of genre. I've always been bad with favorites, and top tens are almost worse (how bad will we feel if we don't even make someone's top 10? Or 20? Or 100?)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of love, Right now I'm loving Joel. That is a face to break hearts.
VR Barkowski
I find others successes inspiring, and motivating. I try to learn from others. I have found others authors friend very helpful and supportive. Until I started getting involved, it felt like such a closed off group. It never occurred to me to reach out, and get involved. I am so glad I did. It also made my mentors feel less intimidating, more accessible in learning this.
ReplyDeleteIt took away some of the mystery, but none of the admiration.
Authors are awesome people.
Juneta at Writer's Gambit
Great post!
ReplyDeleteSpread the love around!
So true that we should be glad of other writers' success. I love several authors but I've stopped thinking of favorites because my choices keep changing.
ReplyDeleteJoel is cutie, by the way.
That's the beautiful thing about the writing community...we aren't competing. Readers read. Often quite a bit. Yay for readers! I love others' success stories. It builds up my hope.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely in the love lots of authors camp :) TBH it's the story that gets me, not the person who wrote it.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne @ Suzannes-Tribe
xx
HI, Hart...
ReplyDeleteI agree... We certainly can LOVE LOTS of people and especially our friends and their amazing writing.
I goes for art as well. I Really LOVE art shows and wish I can buy many different types of art. I appreciate their unique spin on the creative process. Funny though, every time I visit a showing with a friend, I always get "You can do that, so why would you want to buy someone else's work." This coming from a non artistic person.
WHAT?! I bleep out... Yes, I MAY be able to reproduce it, but then it's not the ORIGINAL and I could NEVER create a piece with the same HEART and talent of that individual. As in writing one can never reproduce the heart and soul of a writer...
I couldn't agree more that we should rejoice in the success of those around us. There's enough for everybody! Thanks for a most excellent post, and I wish you a great rest of the day Hart.
ReplyDeleteJoel's buddy Oliver says, "woof!" :) Great post today!
ReplyDeleteGreat post and well said. We love more than one but there are always a couple that we gravitate to again and again as we call them our favourites but they are always more than one
ReplyDeleteSounds perfectly reasonable to me. And I love that way of looking at it. :-D
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about this a lot lately. Last night I was up for hours on twitter trying to find out if a good pal of mine had won a huge prize (shortlisted to three people). Of course I wanted her to win, I cried when she didn't and I have felt bad all day - the money was huge but she was shortlisted which was a chunk of change and a lot of recognition for being one of three. But that is the set up. We are groomed from childhood to want to be number one (even us non-yanks!) and it is like the bitter tears the silver medalists shed because they aren't gold. We at home are saying 'but you're the second best runner or whatever IN THE WORLD' Nope. Won't float. And we are constantly asked what we like and don't like. Little kids "what's your favorite colour?" It is the terribleness of the dual world. So I like your post and I love you the bestest of all watery tartlettes I know.
ReplyDelete