Lack of Integrity

I’ve seen a lot of low-rent, bottom-feeding actions in the writing community lately, and I feel I have to speak out. Not that I’m the be-all-and-end-all of author morals, but I’m getting tired of the lack of integrity. It’s an absence of common sense, and it’s puerile.

 

Revenge critiques, spouting off in online forums–the big-boy equivalent of “Nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah”–verbal attacks against self-published writers because an editor of a small press is threatened, successful authors going on ego trips, writers believing the horror hype, and what purpose does any of it serve except to show the writing community how unprofessional you are and show the world how low you can really go?

 

Let’s face it, most of us won’t make it financially where writing is concerned and will have to keep the ol’ day job–only the lucky few will–and therefore, isn’t more important to be a person of integrity than of what they are: fiends and ghouls with no purpose in life?  I mean, we’re all grown ups here, right? At least I hope so.

 

Sorry for the rant, but it’s on my heart, and that’s what I’ve got to say this week. And if I’ve ever gotten even, it’s because I’m not perfect. I try to ignore it, I really do. That’s another thing that needs to change, people expecting writers to be perfect like some weird sect of fake Christianity. You know what? We’re not perfect.

 

But at least I’m not starting trouble.