Eating Chocolate Cheerios: Writing What You Love Even if Others Don't Like It

This morning I decided on one of my favorite cereals for breakfast: chocolate Cheerios. At the same time, I began talking about my writing to my daughter, and the talk evolved into those who
don't appreciate what I write.

(No, these are not chocolate, but they are good)

Quite frankly, I started in on a person I know of who doesn't like my books. This person has never said she doesn't like them, but I 'feel' it every time the subject comes up; sort of a wave of frozen ice and steel.

She hasn't bought one of my books and she has never said why, but I have a sneaking suspicion it's because I've self-published. What book out there that's self-published can be any good, right?

And it made me think of Cheerios. Not everyone likes Cheerios, and not everyone likes chocolate Cheerios, although I think they're pretty good. I buy them and eat them first next to Life cereal. If someone were to walk up to me today and tell me that they couldn't stand the stuff, I would keep eating them anyway.

It's just their opinion after all, and why should I get upset over someone else's opinion?

In the writing life, as in boxed cereal, the time will come when someone will not like your work. They may have never even read it. They may have never even glanced at it, but they will be firm in their opinion that it really isn't any good so why bother?

And when that day comes, I hope you will take your favorite cereal from the cupboard, pour that ice-cold milk, and distribute yummy bananas all over it, because that's what I did.

And you know what?

I feel so much better.