random writing-related thought

I was thinking that not being noticed may sometimes be able to help your writing life. I'm talking about being a published author whose books debut to the sound of crickets (been there, done that). That can drive you outward; it can drive you to panic and worry and desperation. I've heard somewhere that half of all first time authors never publish another book. Maybe those who keep publishing are the ones who (at least partly) turn it inward. Maybe after a certain point we tell ourselves: "Nobody's looking at what I write. Nobody cares. Nobody may even buy it. So...what do I want to do?" And I think--not sure about this--it may actually be a leg up that helps us ramp up our skills and creativity, our ability to listen to ourselves. Even maybe to get back to what we loved about writing in the first place.

And conversely--now that I think about it--maybe that helps our chances of being noticed. There's a scary thought.