Sure Path to Insanity

When someone you love/respect/admire compares your writing to a published author, it may not be the best idea to go out and read that author. My writing was recently compared to a very mega-successful novelist out there. I'd heard of her, but never read her stuff. Borrowed a copy of one of her books from a coworker and have been reading through.

So here's where the insanity comes in--(read on for excerps from Deb's brain):

I'm not really loving this book.

It's okay, but the characters are not all that compelling.

Okay, some of it's okay, but not the greatest I've ever read.

Fill-in-the-Blank really thinks I write like *her*?

Is my book hard to get into?

Are my characters flat?

If this is what is selling, am I doing it wrong?

OMG, who the hell am I to think I can do this?

Fill-in-the-Blank is just being kind.

I'm a hack.

I wish I wrote more like Random-Author-I-Happen-To-Like-at-the-Moment. This writer is good--this writer writes *important* stuff. This writer's prose is tight, her characterization is intriquing, plots unobtrusive and natural.

I'm a total hack.

I might as well eat junk food.


This, boys and girls, is why you should never compare your work to others'.

Lesson complete. Have a nice day.