Writer Envy

[jimhines]

I debated whether or not to post this, but in the interest of keeping myself honest and talking about all sides of this writing thing, I decided to go ahead.

My friend Seanan McGuire’s debut novel Rosemary and Rue [Amazon | Mysterious Galaxy] came out at the start of September.  It’s a great book, and I’m thrilled for her success. Yet there’s a

Comments

[c_smudge]

you'll just have to console yourself with your awesomeness (; thanks for sharing

[jimhines]

Thanks. And I figure I'll start getting those huge advances as soon as I write that My Little Zombie Pony piece :-)

[c_smudge]

exactly.

[cathschaffstump]

Dude, as you say, the envy will pass.

Even without the rest of the trappings, we are privileged to know you, not only because you are a clever, witty and skilled writer, but also because you are a compassionate human being with a good soul.

Don't forget, it's a roller coaster out there! Where you are now is not where you will end up. Those who are where you want to be now might end up where you are now later.(??) Writing is fickle. You can only count on death and taxes.

Besides, I get to spend the weekend envying you. Don't rain on my parade, and I'll see you Friday.

Catherine

ps I will try to remember the camera, so we can actually have pictures of you guesting and stuff so you don't have to take them with your phone.

[jimhines]

Phone, nothing. The author jacket has its own camera pocket :-) But thank you--it will be nice to not have to worry about passing it off to folks!

I think the roller coaster is the key. I know for a long time I assumed you reached a certain level of success, and then you had made it. You were a success. Yay! It was a bit of a shock to discover the emotional ups and downs were just as potent after your first or even your seventh book deal.

And thank you :-) I'm really looking forward to meeting you and getting to do Icon!

[matociquala]

Total miniature envy. Just saying. *g*

I comfort myself that it's not a zero sum market....

[jimhines]

Thanks. And yes. Success for one of us is good for all of us, which helps a lot.

I meant what I said up there, by the way. Envy aside, I'm really happy for all you guys and your kick-ass deals. It's great to see you doing well, even if you haven't gotten those minis yet ;-)

[matociquala]

Well, if you do the math, my deal is more "subsistence level" than "kick-ass." There's a reason I'm writing two or three books a year for the foreseeable future, and it's not because I love my couch quite THAT much. (Baby needs to pay her student loans somehow.)

But yeah, I would not mind edging up into the range where the first digit in the single-book advance is not a one--but OTOH, it doesn't kill my chances of getting a decent advance when you get one too. if anything, it improves them, because the going rate edges higher.

[seanan_mcguire]

Zero sum games make my heart hurt. Especially since half the time, people don't always tell everyone involved that they're being played.

[lindaabdavis]

I think it's pretty normal, Jim. I believe the measure of a person isn't that they have these thoughts, but that they don't give them room to grow.

[jimhines]

I'm working on it. Some days are better than others. Most of the time I'm fine, but for some reason this week has apparently tweaked some of my neuroses.

I figure it's part of being human, but that doesn't mean I have to like it :-)

[temporus]

The demon of self-doubt is pernicious. And success is not the secret spell that will abjure it. I don't actually know what does keep it away or if some of us just have to learn to deal with it.

I don't know if its any consolation, but you kept me up a good hour an a half past my bedtime monday night, as I just had to make it to the end of Mermaid's Madness. Yesterday is still kind of a blur.

[jimhines]

That helps a lot, actually. Thank you :-) It reminds me that the money and the big deals and all that are only one measure of success, but if I can write something that someone *really* enjoys, that's the part that matters more.

[temporus]

After I finished this book, took a breath, and checked the clock to see it was after 1:30 AM, I realized that one of my new goals is to write a book that will keep someone up past their bedtime just to finish it.