IWSG: Reader Responses

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

MAY QUESTION - Have readers ever responded to your writing in a way that you didn't expect? If so, did it surprise you?

MY ANSWER - Yes, actually. There have been several times that a reader reached out and compared my writing to another, much better known, author. In all three cases, I had never actually read anything by those authors at the time. I'm not sure whether to feel flattered that I'm compared to authors deemed "great" by others, or feel deflated because my work isn't more original - maybe a bit of both. We all bring our experiences to the writing, and the reading, table. Those experiences are just as unique as the individual, but also as recognizable as so many universal themes. If you enjoy reading and writing, just keep doing so - regardless of what others think and say.

How about you? Have readers ever responded to your writing in a way that you didn't expect? If so, did it surprise you?