Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
However, I am sure you are correct: I suspect that there are many that would not write if the work would never be read. But few live in true isolation, and I suspect even just writing for a few friends and/or family would still inspire a great many to create.
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Maybe. Isolation aside, writing for one or two people isn't enough for me... nor, I suspect, for those who hope to earn a bit from their books. (Again, I know I'm not the only one who hopes for that, though obviously I'm in the vast minority on this website.
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Once I asked a friend of mine if he wanted to read one of my books. His reply--one of my oldest friends, and an SF fan--was: "Sometimes your friends can be your worst critics." I took the hint, and never offered him one of my books again. But that's the kind of thing that can stick with you, pouring tiny but noticeable amounts of ink in your pool, undermining your confidence and the energy that you'll pour into your work, for years.