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Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Writer's Block

There was a time, not so long ago, when writing literally poured out of me. Nary a day went by when I wasn't writing something, either here on my blog or for a magazine or newspaper.. But then someone pointed out to me the existence of a website that in large part was devoted to criticizing everything about me - from my looks to my husband and children to, yes, you guess it, my writing.

I thought I had a thick skin. I'd certainly taken my hits online for stuff I'd written. The worst ws the online comments on stories about the overdose and beating death of my son Henry. But this new vitriol was the worst I could imagine. These people on this website would flat out make stuff up about me. How do you respond to that? I mean, if you argue with them, you're feeding the trolls. If you ignore them, you allow them to publish flat out lies online with no recourse.

I decided on the latter,.I have done my best to never look at that site, but just knowing it's there, and that they will mock me and make fun of how I write and what I write about is hard. But one day recently when I wanted to write but somehow felt that I couldn't, I got mad. And a  flip switched in my heart and brain, I've been a  writer since preschool, when my mother says I used to make tiny books. I was editor of my high school newpaper and a columnist for my college paper. I've been freelancing for everyone from The News York Times to Huffington Post ever since. And of course, I am a blogger - something I've been doing for 11 years now and which gives me a lot of joy.

I am guessing that the people who rip me to shreds on that website don't care whether I feel joy or not. That's too bad because making people happy instead of sad is an awesome feeling.

In recent months,I find myself itching to blog again - nasty trolls be damned. I'm just promising myself that I will NOT look at that website. I just won't.

And I will write....and write....and write... Some of what I wrote will be heavy and other times what I write will be frivolous. But I WILL WRITE. I won't let a bunch of strangers take away from me one of the great joys of my life.

Thank you for reading. I love hearing from you in the comments. Thnk you to all of you who have supported me through the hellish last several years..

And now, I will write.

xo

Katie

11 comments:

  1. As you should.
    Be fearless!
    And the trolls be damned!

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  2. As you should.
    Be fearless!
    And the trolls be damned!

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  3. I'm reading. Although I ask myself each time, "Who is Avery Small house?"

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  4. Thanks so much y'all! (And Dale, I probably should have named it a "really small house ;-) )

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  5. Really happy for your decissiĆ³n. Write!! I'm in that age of "do what you want" and "let the people think what they want"

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  6. Eh ... I take a peek in on the Frigid Housewives with Impotent Husbands (FHIH™) every now and then, to see what gristle they're chewing on. What a riot! Their delusions of relevancy are amusing, yet it's pathetically sad how they have nothing else in their lives aside from following bloggers to find the tiniest morsel of scandal or controversy to post on a forum founded by a woman who is the biggest, most scandalous hot mess on the internet. Oh the irony!

    Ignore them, Katie. Their pitiful little lives are far beneath your contempt, and not worth a moment's thought. At best, point and laugh at them.

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  7. *shrug* Comes with the territory of writing. Let them talk, at least you know they have a good subject.

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  8. You are now, and have always been, amazing. Your voice has to be heard. To live in silence is to hide your God-given talent...and that would be blatent disregard for the gifts of God. You are not that person.

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  9. You are now, and have always been, amazing. Your voice has to be heard. To live in silence is to hide your God-given talent...and that would be blatent disregard for the gifts of God. You are not that person.

    ReplyDelete