Damned with faint praise and praised with faint damns

I've told people about my plans to write a book and peoples reactions have been really odd, a couple of friends just totally ignored me, there wasn't even time for the tumble weed to start blowing across the hole that my disclosure had dropped into. Another friend has tried telling me what to write and finding bit and piece of information for me to include, none of which are relelvant to what I'm writing about. My Mum, son and step son are the only ones who have been encouraging, I don't get the negativity? Is it because I'm a working class older woman? Do they think I'm getting above my station in life and that people like me shouldn't do things like write, or would they be OK with me writing fiction rather than non fiction?

I didn't expect rounds of applause and street parties, but the lack of response is quite deafening, some who have responded have been very half hearted and I feel their responses match the thread title. Maybe because I'm doing it for pleasure rather than with any expectation of publication, people feel it's unimportant and not worth a comment.

Does this resonate with anyone else? I feel like theres some borderline hostility going on and it's really confusing me.

Parents
  • Hey Catwoman! 

    Sometimes we just need to breath out the negative and breath in the hope and aspirations!

    May sound a tad corny but I am what would be considered working class. I also dropped out of college at 17 and don't really have any formal qualifications per say...

    However, in a few different organisations and for well over 10 years I did a lot of charity work - I ended up being able to speak in a couple of Parliaments and with no formal qualifications ended up as a communication director for a while! You never know where you life with lead you! At the start of all my journeys I have always faced criticism and negativity. 

    Often, because of my struggles I found myself working much harder than anyone else, but it also brought some positives. I can be quite obsessive at times and when I focus on something it is (really) hard for me to let go, relax or do anything else when I am in the middle of something. Plus I can get quite frustrated when things don't go my way (just showing it is not always easy...) but often the only time I am really happy is when I am really focusing in something...

    Writing can be really therapeutic and allow you to express yourself. If you don't mind me saying, try not to focus your attention on the reaction but rather what you are working on - things come in ebb and flows. Sometimes inspiration hits regularly and others it comes in drabs and pauses - keep going, you never know where it will lead you :)

    I also saw a YouTube video a few days ago, from someone with Asperger's, who spoke about feeling frustrated when they felt like they were not being heard. It hit me like a ton of bricks I can tell you. I resonated with it a lot. Some of the things he shared really hit home to me, and it sounds a bit like that...

    I am very new to this community, and accepting that I am autistic in general. One thing I have been pondering is how and to what extent I really think differently from others - I actually don't know the answer! But I think it is OK to think differently and try different things - if you sense you should or could be writing more I say do it! What do you have to loose? At worst it will be a new experience and you may end up really liking what you write Slight smile

  • I'm not expecting any financial profit at all and I'm not upset exactly, I'm disapointed and a bit bemused. Other people are weird, especially NT's.

    Thinking differently from others is what us autists do, it's why we're always in the awkward squad, get told off at school for pointing out how ridiculous what we're being taught is and not understanding why nobody else questions it.

    My thinking is, somebody writes books, why not me, it's not like I haven't read enough on he subjects I'm writing about.

    One of the things I want to thank you people for, is your support, for agreeing with me about why not me?

  • My thinking is, somebody writes books, why not me, it's not like I haven't read enough on he subjects I'm writing about.

    I have no doubt!  Accordingly, I would be interested to read your book, if you were to make it available.  I'm guess something 'historical / fact' based?....but even if it was fiction.....I would be interested to read it.  My thinking is..."CatWoman has a good brain, so she will probably write a good book."  [Disambiguation - generally, I don't read fiction....but I'd make an exception for your book.]

    Yours, supportively,

    Number.

Reply
  • My thinking is, somebody writes books, why not me, it's not like I haven't read enough on he subjects I'm writing about.

    I have no doubt!  Accordingly, I would be interested to read your book, if you were to make it available.  I'm guess something 'historical / fact' based?....but even if it was fiction.....I would be interested to read it.  My thinking is..."CatWoman has a good brain, so she will probably write a good book."  [Disambiguation - generally, I don't read fiction....but I'd make an exception for your book.]

    Yours, supportively,

    Number.

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