You should get comments on this one, Jesse! You hit on so many sore points that can't leave any writer indifferent. On the guru thing: my husband is like your friend. He's a fantastic writer but he doesn't give a damn about being published/read or not. He finds satisfaction in the process, for himself. I admire that self-sufficiency! I'm not that pure, I enjoy the comments and the little pats on the back. Every time I get a story accepted, I'm elated. Would I stop writing if I never got a "yes"? I wouldn't. I wrote for years without a "yes"... so there! Reviews are a sticky point. I try to make mine thoughtful and a true reflection of what I think. Why review something you hated? And if I'm of 2 minds about a book and I know the writer (as much as you can know somebody through social media....), I might send them a private message to say what I liked and what left me indifferent, knowing that, like me, they'll do with that whatever they want.
You should get comments on this one, Jesse! You hit on so many sore points that can't leave any writer indifferent. On the guru thing: my husband is like your friend. He's a fantastic writer but he doesn't give a damn about being published/read or not. He finds satisfaction in the process, for himself. I admire that self-sufficiency! I'm not that pure, I enjoy the comments and the little pats on the back. Every time I get a story accepted, I'm elated. Would I stop writing if I never got a "yes"? I wouldn't. I wrote for years without a "yes"... so there! Reviews are a sticky point. I try to make mine thoughtful and a true reflection of what I think. Why review something you hated? And if I'm of 2 minds about a book and I know the writer (as much as you can know somebody through social media....), I might send them a private message to say what I liked and what left me indifferent, knowing that, like me, they'll do with that whatever they want.