In the year since I worked up the courage to start writing online, I’ve received my fair share of unwanted criticism. There are the trolls, of course, who tell me I’m fat and send violent threats. They don’t have to like my writing; they get blocked without a second thought. There are the people who angrily disagree with me (and send me 1000-word essays on why I’m so wrong not to like Harry Potter). They don’t have to like my writing either; they mainly get laughed at. But last month, I wrote a personal essay for HelloGiggles—and for the first time, I received criticism that genuinely hurt me. For the first time in a year, I actually wanted to turn off my computer and give up. Because this time, people said my writing just…didn’t help.

Continue reading “Who has to like your writing anyway?”