I’ve been thinking this week about how hard it is when people don’t seem to understand, or support, your writing.

Back in 2010, my wife and I moved 500 miles away from our home town. We had always planned to move, and had a powerful vision of our future. Predictably, many of the people in our network were sad to see us go. Less predictably, I was surprised by how many people were openly negative about the move, telling us it was thoughtless, or bad for the kids, or some sign of weak character.

Upset by this response, we turned to a self-help book. Were we crazy? Were we doing something stupid? The book suggested what seemed to me at the time to be a bizarre experiment: go tell a complete stranger your plans and see what they say.

Both my wife and I did this, and guess what? Do you see where this is going?

Every stranger we talked to said, “Wow, that’s exciting. That sounds like a really good move for you and your family.”

They reacted simply to the information they received. They were supportive because they heard us articulate excitement about the future. They didn’t feel the need to judge us based on expectations. To me, the idea that a random person on the street could be more supportive of my future than my friends and family was staggering.

In the end, our friends and family got over it (mostly!), but we also learned a really important lesson.

When you are doing hard things, especially new things, or things that cast you in a new light, you are very likely to get negative feedback from those around you.

I think a lot of writers will see parallels to their lives in my story. Many people think writing is something only other, smarter people do. Or they think it’s a waste of time. Or they think you’ll get too big for your britches if you think you’re a “writer.”

Writing is hard enough as it is, but it can be really tough if you don’t have a support network. Negativity can slow you down or even shut you down.

That means it's important to find people who support your journey and who can celebrate your victories. And that’s why I’m glad you’re here reading this, surrounded virtually by strangers (like me!) who are ready to support your writing.

Happy writing,

Trevor