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Transcript

That Book Isn't for You · The Daily Writer

• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Daily Writer, where we share a lesson each day to help you cultivate the habits for creative success.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: You know, as writers, we spend a lot of time worrying about people who don't like our writing.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: But what happens when you're the one who hates somebody else's book?
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's an author whose marketing you can't stand.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you read a novel that you thought was just poorly written.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you completely disagreed with an author's perspective on politics, religion, parenting, or a hundred other topics.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: The point is you're mad at the author.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Now you have to decide what to do with that anger.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: Mark Twain was a writer who didn't mince words, even when it came to his feelings about other writers.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: He said this: I haven't any right to criticize books, and I don't do it except when I hate them.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: I often want to criticize Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can't conceal my frenzy from the reader, and therefore I have to stop every time I begin.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: Every time I read Pride and Prejudice, I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin bone.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: Well, something tells me that Mark Twain would have lasted about three seconds on social media these days.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: But that aside, maybe you have felt that way about another writer.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's tempting to want to leave a negative review or post a sarcastic comment on social media.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: But most of the time we would do really well to follow the golden rule, which is do unto others what you would have them do unto you.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: In other words, be nice.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Just be kind.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: And if you can't say anything nice, it's best not to say anything at all.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: More than anybody else, we writers understand the power of our words.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: But sometimes that power is best kept to ourselves.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: Remember that a book isn't for everyone.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: Your book isn't for everyone, and sometimes another author's book is not for you.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for listening to today's episode.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: For more, you can visit us at dailywriterlife.com.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, and I'll see you tomorrow.