Writer's anxiety dream

[gwynhefar]

So last night I dreamt that I had published a novel - just a short little YA fantasy thing, and I was at a conference giving out ARCs. For some reason, there was a huge trash chute next to my booth, and people kept picking up my book, flipping through it, and then throwing it down the chute in disgust. There were all of these *brilliant* writers there - authors I've loved since I was a child: Robin McKinley, Neil Gaiman, Diana Wynne Jones, Jane Yolen - and they all saw this happening and were looking at me with pity. Sharyn November was there too, and somehow I'd managed to get her as my editor. She kept bringing me replacement ARCs since my table kept emptying so fast, and she kept telling me how well I must be doing, as a first time writer, and I wanted to cry and tell her "no, they're throwing them all *away*" but I was too embarrassed. And then I woke up.

Literary self-esteem issues, me? Nah.

Comments

[amine-eyes.livejournal.com]

Eeeeeeeep ... *hugs*

[gwynraven.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I've been considering submitting the story I posted last week, and I'm sure that's why this is coming up now.

[harkalark.livejournal.com]

Argh. That's a pretty horrible one.

[kaitouace2750.livejournal.com]

Wow that's pretty sad. Made me sad just reading it. :(

*hugs*

[lepusdomesticus.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry you had such a terrible dream, but this made me laugh, because it was very familiar.

Once I dreamed I was at a book-signing for an author I really admire, and I asked her to sign a book for me, and at first she said she would, but then she looked at me and declared that I was such a bad writer, I wasn't worthy of having a signed book by her. It was horrible. :)

And that wasn't even the weirdest writer anxiety dream I've had.

[gwynraven.livejournal.com]

Glad to know I'm not the only one!

[queenbookwench.livejournal.com]

See, you woke up too soon, and missed the part where someone told you "Oh, today's asshole day--we like to get them out of the way first."

And then Sharyn took you out to lunch and you talked about what relatively unknown fairy tale should be the inspiration for your next novel, and Jane Yolen offered to blurb you. :)

[sdn.livejournal.com]

Thank God I was supportive!

[gwynraven.livejournal.com]

I can hardly imagine you being otherwise :)