Thread by @Siennafrst

I think half the agony I see in the #WritingCommunity will be gone if more writers stop thinking that books should only be written to be read by others or sold. It is a form of art, and we have the right to create art for the sake of personal enjoyment. Ppl knit and draw …

to feel good, cook to eat the food themselves, exercise to feel good and it’s fine. But when it comes to writing, everyone is making it a job, like the book means nothing if it isn’t read or get published, like ppl who don’t get read should be ashamed of themselves. Like, wtf?

I believe most of us started out with passion. We wouldn’t be writing if we didn’t love it, and then ppl start telling you you have to succeed, to be trad published, to make NYT bestseller or your writing is worthless. It isn’t. It didn’t start out that way, or did it?

Remember the first time you wrote, before anyone even saw it. That sense of accomplishment, the fun in creating your own world and living in it. The power of creation akin to playing God. We have the right to feel good about that without being validated by anybody.

And I’ll tell you who did this, who took that joy away from us: anyone who’s ever made a writer feel bad about loving their books when it isn’t good enough for the world, like we have to feel guilty about producing art that can’t sell. That’s toxic shit and it has to stop.