It happened. My mother read my novel. It went better than I initially thought it would. For quite some time, I had openly discouraged this. Why? Because, my mom doesn't like creepy. And let's be honest, who wants to disappoint their mother?
Typically, moms are our first cheerleaders. They're right behind us, encouraging each step we take. Mine is no different. She has been tremendously encouraging through the whole process. So it was with trepidation that I finally handed her a proof copy.
(Crickets chirping)
Yeah, it was quiet - no calls at first. I'm sure you can imagine my thoughts: She hates it and doesn't want to hurt my feelings... The paranormal aspect is getting to her... Finally, the first call - she had started it. The second call - she was captivated by my "bad guy" and had to take a nap as she had stayed up late reading. The third call - she had no clue that I had all that stuff running around in my head and my bad guy was getting underneath her skin. (Remember, she doesn't like creepy). The final call - Thankfully, she was finished and surprisingly she liked it - but she felt like she had been on a roller-coaster and was so glad to be off.
My point in sharing this is that like me, you may have that one person's opinion you're worried about. I think those worries are probably normal. That doesn't mean we should let those worries take control. After all, it's my/your story. Who else can tell it? It certainly won't be told if we overly concern ourselves with what others think. Writing is about expressing ourselves; it's about igniting our imagination and sharing it with others.
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