Comments on: The Haunting of Keystone Lake

By: Rob

Rob — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 13:15:01 +0000

@Mom: I do still consider this person my friend. Your second comment, the one about not letting other’s people opinions stop you, is definitely the point I was going for. A third point I learned. one I didn’t mention, is that if you aren’t strong enough to handle negative feedback, don’t go around asking for feedback.

@Jason: I’m sorry that you feel that way, because I still I value our friendship. This post wasn’t about your negative comments toward my book; I asked for your honest opinion at the time and you gave it. It was about not being able to handle such stark criticism at the time, and it was about valuing someone else’s opinion of my work more highly than my own. One thing you have showed us all over the past many years is that you have to believe in yourself to get things done. Time and time again I have watched you filet your critics with the sharpest of tongues by standing up and defending your work. I wish I had been strong enough to do that too. Not letting people’s negativity toward your work affect you and to “keep on keepin’ on” regardless of what anyone else thinks is one of the greatest lessons you have taught me. I hope you are not teaching me another lesson today.

By: Jason Scott

Jason Scott — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 12:15:51 +0000

Guess that’s that. It was great knowing you.

By: Earl

Earl — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:25:51 +0000

Oh, to have an attic. Or a cabin. I have to steal time from my own sleep schedule to get writing done. Otherwise, I can’t even complete a sentence without being interrupted by an outburst of “DAAAAAAAD!” I’m planning to have at least two books finished this year, with a lot of work having already been done on them, otherwise that’d be a completely ludicrous goal, but sometimes I have a hard time believing that anything will get done. The reason so much of any of my stuff gets written “on the can” is because that’s the only way I can close a door in this house without setting off an international incident (and because no one’s going to barge in the door with the kind of smells that are involved).

So basically… if someone were to tell me that my latest book stinks… my reply would be that they don’t know the half of it.

By: Mom

Mom — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:52:50 +0000

Lesson one: When asked your opinion of something, if you don’t think it’s great, offer “constructive” criticism and then encouragement. (Is he still your friend?)
Lesson two: If you love what you’re doing, don’t let anybody else’s opinion stop you!