Must One Have a Prescription For Cranky Pills?

I've met a lot of grumpy writers in my day. Angry at publishers for not buying their books. Ticked off at reviewers for having the gall to give them a 1-star. Annoyed with agents, critique partners, and the bleepity-bleep UPS man for not delivering their Amazon order fast enough. Here's the deal, though, succinctly put by Seth Godin:

"If you choose to be in the dog food business,

be delighted to eat dog food."

Oh, get your undies out of such a bunch. I am not calling writers dogs. I'm simply saying that if you can't do something cheerfully, such as pursue a career in writing, then you ought not do it at all. Once again, in Godin's words:

"If you treat the work as nothing but an obligation, 

you will soon be overwhelmed by competition that sees it as a privilege and a calling."

I'll take that a step further. If you are of the mindset that publishers/agents/readers are obliged to consider you and your work as God's gift to mankind, then the competition will definitely steamroll over you.

And then you really will be cranky.