I got it again recently.

Criticism.

“Your books just aren’t funny”

“Your writing is crap”

“My five year old can do better than that”

I am sure every writer has had this kind of criticism.  And it usually hurts most when it comes from friends and family.

Though it is actually very easy to hit back at the critics.

So I said, “Thanks for those comments, let me see how you do it.”

This gets a blank look.

“What?”

“Show me how you structured you book so I can see the best way to do things, considering my writing is so bad.”

And what happens?

Nothing.

These critics have never written anything of any value.

So tell them to take a long walk off a short pier.

And just carry on.

“Lives of Great Men all remind us,

We may make our lives sublime,

And departing leave behind us,

Footprints in the sands of Time.”

Hawkwind.