Vanilla Ice Cream & The Pursuit of Being “Liked”

Betsy Lerner’s book The Forest for the Trees is a must-read for any writer, or for anyone who would like to understand the mind of a writer more completely.   She has a way of cracking open a writer’s skull and revealing the truths about the worries and even insecurities that most writers face on a daily basis. 

One of my favorite quotes from the book is, “You must give yourself permission to tell. Most important, give up the vain hope that people will like your work.  People like vanilla ice cream.  Hope that they will love your work or hate it.”

To be liked by someone, anyone really, for what we do is a human need.  So, pair that with the hours, months, and maybe even years that a writer works on his project and you create an almost dire need for approval.  I think what Betsy is saying, however, is to create something without worrying about fame and fortune and just write something that you love.  By doing so, others will see that you have indeed created something special and may end up loving it, or in some cases hating it. Either way you have made an impact.

Stop worrying and just write!

- C. D. Kearby

- Follow me on Twitter @cdkearby