Mumblings

The self-indulgent writer listens only to the mumblings of sycophants, toadies, and flatterers, thus failing to heed the valid criticisms of editors, critiquers, and reviewers.

Since improvement involves the time to review, to edit, to revise, and to rewrite, the self-indulgent writer avoids or neglects to do this. All writing can be enhanced by revision and review: a change in viewpoint, a change in syntax, a change in sentence structure, or a change in design. Most flourishing writers take the time and effort to appraise their work before submission to an editor, a publisher, or a broadcaster.

Those writers that do not assess their work abandon themselves to self-pity and blame their lack of success on unreceptive editors, publishers, the publishing industry, the media, and to a general misunderstanding of them as authors. They fail to realize that their self-indulgence is the reason for their failure. They fail to understand that success is more hard work than talent or genius. It is easier to blame others than it is to strive, to develop, and to improve their talents.

Often these writers depend on the obsequiousness of friends and relatives to justify their worth as an author, novelist, playwright, poet, journalist, essayist, or even a critic. Friends are usually poor judges of writing or they refuse to be honest for fear of alienating, disappointing, or denigrating that person. Relatives also make poor sounding boards from the same reason, but also through envy and belief that they can do as well or better. Generally their commendation is unsound and of little use to the serious writer who hopes for an effective evaluation of the composition.

Thus, the self-indulgent writer eliminates any review or criticism, and even neglects to evaluate his or her own work by taking the time to even use a grammar and spellchecker that are part of most, if not all, word processors. Submissions are sent with typos, spelling mistakes, and gross grammar errors. Then they wonder why their work is rejected, thus the mumbling of self-indulgent writers.

Charles O. Goulet has a BA in history and a BEd in English literature. He has written several novels based on Canadian history that are available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Barnes and Noble and many other book stores.

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