Coping with Comparison and Competition within the Writing Community
Most authors have a book they wish they’d written - a book that is so beautifully crafted they feel pangs of envy - mine was always Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and later The Power by Naomi Alderman.
In today’s world, as social media and online platforms provide unprecedented access to other people's work, what was once a brief fleeting of envy, is now a constant deluge of comparison and competition.
For an over-thinker like me, this can be disastrous. Hours fly by as I consume other people’s work rather than focusing on creating my own.
A survey conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) and the Young Health Movement found that 70% of young people reported experiencing feelings of inadequacy after using social media so I know I’m not the only one.
When we're constantly exposed to others' successes and achievements, it's challenging not to measure ourselves against them. That’s why I now sleep with my phone outside of the bedroom so other people’s content is not the first thing I consume.
When I’m feeling good, which is luckily most days, this connectivity can be incredibly inspiring, but I’m aware the feelings of comparison and competition aren’t far away.
Here are five strategies I use when coping with comparison and competition within the writing community.
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