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As a writer who has struggled with depression, the question is one that has long troubled me. Should I resist treatment, on the off-chance my creative output will somehow be affected?
Andrew Shaffer -
Every published writer, myself included, was at one time unpublished. All writers know what rejection feels like.
Andrew Shaffer
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This is a common misconception about antidepressants: many people believe they're simply 'happy pills' that will wipe a person's emotional slate clean. Used correctly, antidepressants can lift the fog of mental illness.
Andrew Shaffer -
Don't respond to haters' taunts - even politely. Ignore them. If nobody takes their bait, most will grow bored and move on.
Andrew Shaffer -
No matter what you do, you're going to run into haters online. We're not talking about ordinary, disgruntled customers who should be addressed with empathy and understanding. Haters are a breed apart.
Andrew Shaffer -
With traditional publishing, books might be pulled due to plagiarism or libel - but rarely for content, and especially not without a widespread outcry.
Andrew Shaffer -
While I've never asked my publisher to pull one of my books off the shelves, I have deleted tweets or blog posts that have drawn criticism.
Andrew Shaffer -
It's not always caving to pressure: Sometimes criticism hits close to home; sometimes criticism changes our minds about something we've put out into the world.
Andrew Shaffer
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If you're reading a mystery novel, you kind of want the character to solve the crime instead of completely bumble their way through it.
Andrew Shaffer -
The difficult part of writing about someone you don't admire is that it's easy to demonize them. What you get then is a cackling villain, twirling their mustache at every dastardly deed they commit.
Andrew Shaffer