Still under the deadline gun…not that I'm complaining. Matter of fact, I'm learning that it helps me not to complain.
You'd think at age 60, I'd have figured that out by now but hey, sometimes these things take a while to sink in. Increasingly, I find myself using a simple analogy. Friends bitch 'n' moan about problems to me and sometimes, something constructive comes out of the complaining…but not often. Sometimes, it's just "Hey, you think you have it bad, let me top you." And sometimes, it's just plain a waste of time and energy. I have one friend who could probably solve every work-related problem he whines about if he took the time he spends whining and spent it doing the work instead.
Too often, the negatives they itemize are negatives that come with the job. I once knew a Playboy Playmate who'd spend half the day at the gym and the other half doing her hair and makeup…then expect sympathy because, as she put it, "Men keep staring at me." We all felt really sorry for her. I have writer friends complaining about not having paying work — a legit reason for some despair — but I also know writers who want a little pity because they have to spend so much time at the keyboard.
So the analogy I find myself using a lot is: "That's like a prizefighter complaining, 'The other guy keeps hitting me!'"
One of the things some new writers don't seem to get is that it's work. And if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get back to doing some of it…