Feelings of competition with other writers?

I just thought of something that happened to me last week. I recently met author Chris Kennedy, and when I say met, I mean via the interweb. He is doing a story for Explorations 2, and he was introduced to me from PP Corcoran. We were chatting about writing, and Woodbridge projects, and somehow it came out that he knew Gail Z Martin, and that I was working with her on Journeys. He said he was seeing her that weekend, and that they were friends, sharing a table at a convention. What a small world! Then on Sunday he messages me and says he is sending me a signed copy of her new book. So there we have two authors conspiring to send another writer/publisher a copy of a book. It was so nice and thoughtful, and I had only just made his acquaintance. All I know is the experience I've been having recently with networking, is that most authors are cheering each other on, and are happy to help out where and when they can. It's actually quite great, and refreshing to see.

Edit: And Phyre, you are our favorite dancing horror writer on the Chrons...okay!?
 
Cory Swanson said:
If the jealousy drives you to get better, use it. If it exhausts and defeats you, you need to move past it. All I can say is that from the perspective of my teaching career, it is good to be at a place where you are new to something and can forgive yourself for your mistakes. The second you stop forgiving yourself is the second you start destroying yourself.
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I think that cuts to the core of it better than anything else and it goes for an awful lot more than writing. Well, that and 2DaveWixon's story.

Phyrebrat said:
Yeah but you guys always pick me last in team games :cry::D

pH
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Only because you can't do a Byker Grove accent ;)
 
Chrons, as an example, changed the way I look at writing. I feeling, mainly, envy, and respect, for other writers. In general I don't feel I'm anywhere as good a writer as most of the people on this site. Still, I've made some pretty good connections here and know I can always count on the advice I get here.
 
Droflet said:
Chrons, as an example, changed the way I look at writing. I feeling, mainly, envy, and respect, for other writers. In general I don't feel I'm anywhere as good a writer as most of the people on this site. Still, I've made some pretty good connections here and know I can always count on the advice I get here.
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You said it, Droflet! I'm overwhelmed! This is such good stuff! Thanks everyone so much. If anyone else hasn't piped in yet, by all mean keep it coming.(y):LOL:
 
While it's easy to see everyone as "after your dream" every single writer you come across has different influences and attitudes. Anthologies are a great example of how that works. When you have a given theme to address and the range of stories and the directions those tales take reveals how you can have so many different versions.

What you write will be completely different as your opinions and experiences are just that. Different. How you handle a situation will not be the same as the person next to you. No one else can be you just as no one else can be me :D

Stress is an evil thing, poisonous to the creative Mogwai who reside in your synapses. Competition causes stress.

But like others have said, respect and understanding how you can grow as a writer or even a person, that's a different energy. A far more positive one.
 
You simply need to understand its not a footrace, whatever the latest pop culture mantra suggests to the contrary.
As a writer you have set yourself off on the path unwinding. As then beginning a journey that you can never glimpse further then the top of the next hill that has to be climbed. And once you reach it there is yet again another greater hill beyond that.
Its a struggle to be faced, not a frolic. One that you do yourself. Alone and of your own effort. Its bearable because of the companions you meet, the friends that you make who walk along with you.
 
"Success" is for people who are interested in success. But if you're going to make the transition from writer to author you're going to have to realise your work is - or should be - art. Artists don't give a damn about much except their art. Also - if you're feeling envious, that means you're desperate for something, which "success" is a short-term replacement for. Maybe get some therapy.

It's a tough message, but get real. Make art. What the others do is totally irrelevant. Your fans will be your bellwether.
 
I am not sure it makes me competitive to see good writing or other writers having good luck.
But I am not competitive by nature.
It DOES make me feel intimidated or question my own talent more often than I'd like it to.
 
I honestly don't think that we as writers are in direct competition with each other. Books are cheap; readers will read; if a reader buys someone else's book first, then they will probably simply get to ours next. Something else to consider too: some books may bring in other readers to the genre that we are in, bringing a bigger audience to ours. So, are we really in competition with one another? On a surface level, yes. But, on the grand scale of things: I think we end up helping each other, even if it is indirectly.
 
Isaac Newt said:
I honestly don't think that we as writers are in direct competition with each other. Books are cheap; readers will read; if a reader buys someone else's book first, then they will probably simply get to ours next. Something else to consider too: some books may bring in other readers to the genre that we are in, bringing a bigger audience to ours. So, are we really in competition with one another? On a surface level, yes. But, on the grand scale of things: I think we end up helping each other, even if it is indirectly.
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I agree with that. But there's another benefit: I think that for writers, the society -- the social support, I mean -- of other writers is invaluable.

By definition, almost, the art of writing is an isolated thing -- it's a lonely art, for mostly it can't be done except in the unreachable depths of the mind. There may be exceptions, but I believe that most writers have to be left alone, in order to write. And the habit comes -- if it was not always there in the person who becomes a writer -- to run their lives.
But writers can, as it were, let their hair down, when in the company of other writers of congenial disposition -- that's when they're with people who understand!
 
Yes, yes to pretty much everything I've read so far. Well, apart from the bit where we all become Phyre's dancing minions.

I've basically just been going through the thread 'liking' everything! And I absolutely agree with the opinions here: support, support, support. If not for the writing community (and not just in SFF – I see that in kid lit a lot, and I'm sure each genre/segment has its own support systems), this here writing game would be a hard and lonely thing indeed.
 
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