This was so encouraging Alex. I love your newsletters and was super excited to recieve a NetGalley arc of mirror of beasts last week 😻 can’t wait to get into it
For what it’s worth I adored The Darkest Minds movie and was so disappointed to not get a sequel! I am sorry that there was so much negativity surrounding it online. Criticism hurts and people can be brutal but where there are haters, there are those who know that your work is incredible and have been influenced by it in such a positive way!!
Alex, thank you so much, and you are so brave to share those really really hard and painful things with us! I've been thinking about this a lot lately because I recently had a small misstep with something I created and put out in public, only to be immediately shamed for being cringy. Thankfully I was able to delete it pretty quickly, but the experience has lingered... Not as a stick to flog myself with, but as a reminder of what it FEELS like to experience public rejection instead of perceiving the feelings from the safe distance of hypothetical rejection. It made me a lot more appreciative of all the writers like yourself with their work very publicly available for dissection.
I thought I had a thick skin because I'm able to graciously and enthusiastically handle criticism and correction in my work life... But it's very different to receive feedback from trusted mentors and team members you know care about you, versus some stranger who isn't thinking about YOU at all.
When you share stuff like this, it's such a great reminder and guidepost. Thank you again for being open with us! <3
I really relate to your story, and the perfectionism (which is also my specter, self-punishment homedog, etc.) If I just started reading The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control (https://a.co/a3wG7hE) and it is both very eye-opening (read: I feel personally attacked, but also SEEN) and helpful/hopeful. I think it will really help me in future creative endeavors—maybe it’ll help you too? Take care 💜
I belly flopped once (not from nearly as high, it was just the regular diving board height) but when I came up, everyone was clapping behind me, assuming I did it on purpose (3 things to note here: I definitely did NOT and most of the people behind me were grown men, I was like 13 or 14 or something). I dove under the water to get back to the side of the pool so I could cry briefly before climbing out. Belly flops are the WORST. I loved the TDM movie, though, it was a comfort movie in my first year of college! Also, I'm so excited for Mirror of Beasts!!
Loved your diving story and discussion of perfectionism and vulnerability--I think it's fairly common for writers, and possibly something many of us are working through in our writing. But like you said, dealing with it is an ongoing process, with better days and more challenging day. (And frequently it's one of of our lifelong personal themes.)
My copy of EMILY WILDE just arrived at the library today--it's been in my queue for months! I'm excited to dig in!
I read the excerpt from Mirror and I’m not even joking I had to put my phone on the other side of my desk (if I wasn’t at work I would have thrown it across my room lol) because I’m so excited for the book!!
This is super encouraging to read. The fear of failing and having everyone see it something I'm super guilty of myself. And knowing that the fear is normal, it's not a sign of weakness, is also very comforting. Thanks for sharing.
Thank YOU for taking the time to read it! The fear is absolutely normal, and it really feels like it lives on a spectrum--on some days, I'm better equipped mentally/emotionally to handle it and I care less, and then on others, it feels devastating.
Fantastic art work on the cover!
This was so encouraging Alex. I love your newsletters and was super excited to recieve a NetGalley arc of mirror of beasts last week 😻 can’t wait to get into it
For what it’s worth I adored The Darkest Minds movie and was so disappointed to not get a sequel! I am sorry that there was so much negativity surrounding it online. Criticism hurts and people can be brutal but where there are haters, there are those who know that your work is incredible and have been influenced by it in such a positive way!!
Alex, thank you so much, and you are so brave to share those really really hard and painful things with us! I've been thinking about this a lot lately because I recently had a small misstep with something I created and put out in public, only to be immediately shamed for being cringy. Thankfully I was able to delete it pretty quickly, but the experience has lingered... Not as a stick to flog myself with, but as a reminder of what it FEELS like to experience public rejection instead of perceiving the feelings from the safe distance of hypothetical rejection. It made me a lot more appreciative of all the writers like yourself with their work very publicly available for dissection.
I thought I had a thick skin because I'm able to graciously and enthusiastically handle criticism and correction in my work life... But it's very different to receive feedback from trusted mentors and team members you know care about you, versus some stranger who isn't thinking about YOU at all.
When you share stuff like this, it's such a great reminder and guidepost. Thank you again for being open with us! <3
I really relate to your story, and the perfectionism (which is also my specter, self-punishment homedog, etc.) If I just started reading The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control (https://a.co/a3wG7hE) and it is both very eye-opening (read: I feel personally attacked, but also SEEN) and helpful/hopeful. I think it will really help me in future creative endeavors—maybe it’ll help you too? Take care 💜
Ugh, minus “if”, I definitely DID start reading the book. 🙄
I belly flopped once (not from nearly as high, it was just the regular diving board height) but when I came up, everyone was clapping behind me, assuming I did it on purpose (3 things to note here: I definitely did NOT and most of the people behind me were grown men, I was like 13 or 14 or something). I dove under the water to get back to the side of the pool so I could cry briefly before climbing out. Belly flops are the WORST. I loved the TDM movie, though, it was a comfort movie in my first year of college! Also, I'm so excited for Mirror of Beasts!!
Loved your diving story and discussion of perfectionism and vulnerability--I think it's fairly common for writers, and possibly something many of us are working through in our writing. But like you said, dealing with it is an ongoing process, with better days and more challenging day. (And frequently it's one of of our lifelong personal themes.)
My copy of EMILY WILDE just arrived at the library today--it's been in my queue for months! I'm excited to dig in!
I read the excerpt from Mirror and I’m not even joking I had to put my phone on the other side of my desk (if I wasn’t at work I would have thrown it across my room lol) because I’m so excited for the book!!
I had SO much fun writing this book and plotting out all of the twists and turns--I seriously can't wait for you guys to read it!!
This is super encouraging to read. The fear of failing and having everyone see it something I'm super guilty of myself. And knowing that the fear is normal, it's not a sign of weakness, is also very comforting. Thanks for sharing.
Thank YOU for taking the time to read it! The fear is absolutely normal, and it really feels like it lives on a spectrum--on some days, I'm better equipped mentally/emotionally to handle it and I care less, and then on others, it feels devastating.