Comments on: Embrace your writing community, but don't be scared to say 'no'!

By: Jude Calvert-Toulmin

Jude Calvert-Toulmin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 08:52:01 +0000

To all at writeforyourlife:

I thought as everyone here has a sense of humour you may like to read a blog article I’ve just stumbled upon by a bloke called John Scalzi, entitled How to Irritate and Annoy People in the Name of Blogging. It is funny as fook, made me laugh out loud and was such a relief as I’ve been feeling swamped by the whole desperate “marketing” aspect of many blogs and Twitterers. Yanno, we are all human beings and we all feel as insecure as one another! I think you’ll like this article, anyway

Love Jude xxx (an appropriate non-corporate sign off.)

By: Linda

Linda — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:25:58 +0000

Interesting post. It does take courage to say no because then you run the risk of your supporters doing the same to you.

But you are correct: your own writing must take priority.

I am still at the place, though, where critting my colleagues’ work helps me as much as it helps them.

You’ve got a great blog here. Peace, Linda

By: Diane McNeil

Diane McNeil — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:25:53 +0000

Saying no seems to be confused with rejection, or at least the fear that saying no conveys that message. It’s hard for me to say no, always thinking I can get back to my work in a minute and then it takes an hour.
I think asking for input instead of advice is what I would do first. Do we really want someone to tell us what to do? or tell us what doesn’t work for them, or what they didn’t understand, so we would know what needed our attention?
I love the little guys you have going for you, and look forward to keeping up with everything here.

By: Hump Day Reading for the Restless Soul

Hump Day Reading for the Restless Soul — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 06:43:08 +0000

[...] Embrace your writing community, but don’t be scared to say ‘no’! at Write for Your Life [...]

By: Iain

Iain — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:04:40 +0000

@Ryan You’re right, it can be difficult to ask people for advice about your writing, but I don’t think that should ever stop you doing so. Criticism is always difficult to take, but whether you agree with it or not, it’s almost always invaluable. Thanks for the comment – enjoy your blog.

@Joanna It certainly seems that way and I’m enjoying it so far!

@George Thanks for your comment. It can be so, so tough to say no, especially if it’s to decline an offer that you actually want to take up! You just need to figure out what the most important thing is at any one time, and then focus on it. Sometimes that will be your writing, other times it might be helping out someone else.

By: Tumblemoose

Tumblemoose — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:43:40 +0000

I’ve always found it hard to say “no”. It’s worked to my detriment on many occasion, I have to say.

Lately, the problem is that I am trying to keep the blog focused in a specific direction and there are a lot of requests to participate in things that are not related to my niche. Damned hard to say no to my community, but I don’t want to post off topic.

Balance is hard sometimes.

Loved the post, by the way. Great writing style – I’m gonna go subscribe.

Cheers

George

By: Joanna Young

Joanna Young — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:27:53 +0000

Iain, one of the things I like about blogging is that the communities are fluid and supportive. It does take a lot of time but it’s time I’d otherwise have spent watching TV rather than writing, so it’s no loss And I feel I’ve gained way more than I’ve given. Way more.

Thanks for linking out to my recent post and the conversation there.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 17:15:56 +0000

We should be careful when asking for advice, because joining a community and sticking our writing out there is indirectly asking for advice. And people will give it. And you probably won’t like it. Learning how and when to say no is important. And I’ve learned that people, when asked for advice, will want to own your response. You ask for a writing tip, they say stop saying “very” so much, but you like to use that, so you don’t stop. They’ll get mad. They assume that because you asked (directly or not) that you better darn-well take their advice… or else!

On that cynical note, I’d just like to say that I agree: blogging is a great community of communities where we can surround ourselves with all sorts of creative geniuses to help fuel our work.

By: Iain

Iain — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 17:15:43 +0000

@Craig On my radar, but for some reason not in my RSS reader. That’s been corrected – thank you!

By: Craig McGinty

Craig McGinty — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:33:47 +0000

He may already be on your radar but Merlin Mann of 43 Folders http://www.43folders.com/ writes about gaining a balance so you can be creative as well as involved.

Is a favourite in my RSS reader.