Sunday, June 10, 2012

Seth Godin and Comparisons

And interesting Seth Godin post about comparisons  got me to thinking about how I compare myself to other writers and how when I do so, I always ended up depressed--but I like setting my own standards.  I even like setting my own goal dates and goal word counts, though I never make them.  But even when I don't make them, it is still less depressing than looking at what others are doing and seeing myself as falling short.

So, I think Godin's post is relevant to writers.  You shouldn't compare yourself to others, trying to be better than someone else, but rather you should just better yourself, period.

2 comments:

Clare Wilson said...

I find that if I want to compare myself to someone in a constructive fashion, I pick dead authors! That way, I already know that it's unlikely for me ever to match them, and instead of being competition, they become inspiration. By taking elements that you like from them and attempting to incorporate them into your own voice, I think you can actually perfect that voice. That's my experience at least!

Jodi Ralston said...

That's a nice trick, SolariC. I know I do take some of my favorite authors as inspiration, and oddly enough probably half of them are dead ;-) Like Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen. Doesn't stop them from influencing me or being inspiration!

Thanks for the comment!

Jodi

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