This week's episode is a solo one, where Mark reflects on reflect the Two Wrongs That Make a Writer Spite. He takes a look at two negative things that writers often focus on which can be demotivating and make them hateful or spiteful - all things that detract from what writers should be focusing on to move onward and upward in their writer journey.

Before the main content, Mark shares a few personal updates, one of which is related to the sell-direct BookFunnel and audiobook sell-direct option recently offered by Findaway Voices via Authors Direct.

This week's episode is sponsored by listeners and Patreon supporters to the show. Mark explains that his nickname for listeners have been christened as Reflectives, and the outlines who he believes his ideal listening audience to this podcast is.

He also outlines the ways that listeners can help support the show, which are:

a) continuing to listen to the podcast

b) sharing the podcast with someone who would likely get value from it

c) becoming a Patreon supporter for as little as $1 a month

d) leaving a review on the podcasting/podcatcher platform of your choice

e) filling out the recent podcast listener survey

f) leaving a comment on show episodes where applicable.

Writers have a difficult time. Just the creation aspect of writing is a tremendous feat in and of itself. There's so much to learn, so many mistakes to make along the way.

And yet, writers tend to put more on their own shoulders that cause more pain, more angst, more anxiety, more self-doubt.

Those two things are COMPARISON and REJECTION. Mark talks about each of them and shares his own reflections on ways that he attempts to overcome them and turn these two negatives into a positive.

He looks at some personal fitness running goals recently achieved and the possibility of what might happen if he were to compare his personal achievements and goals with those master runners. He parallels that to the goals and comparisonitis that writers struggle with.

Then he uses an analogy that author Kerrie Flanagan writes about in a recent book she wrote for writers, comparing the rejection a writer feels from either submissions not accepted or self-published books that haven't been selling. He looks at how a waiter might react to restaurant patrons NOT choosing the "daily special" and asks writers to consider the reasons for not choosing that special, which likely have NOTHING to do with the quality or value of that special, and thus shouldn't be taken personally.

He reminds writers that they already have enough self-doubt and anxiety and needn't put the additional COMPARISON and REJECTION issues on their own shoulders.

Links of Interest:

Joanna Penn's Interview (Episode 2)
Kerrie Flanagan's Interview (Episode 31)
Bookfunnel
Findaway Voices - Authors Direct
Books2Read.com
Mark's US Authors Direct Page for Stark Publishing
Mark's home-page for EVASION (with links to ebook and audiobook purchasing)

203: What Really Grinds Our Gears