There’s another long-time contributor to one of the places I write for, and whenever the editor says someone else already pitched an idea I send, I know it’s probably her. We are usually on the same wavelength. And a few times I’ll see her stories and say, “Why didn’t I think of that one?”

Paula, it sounds like you motivated yourself through jealousy — I kind of love it. 🙂

I’ll admit I’ve been a tad jealous when my stories, which I thought were cover stories, weren’t. Or when someone writes the very story I was about to pitch. 😉 Some jealousy is normal, I guess.

When it becomes the very thing that drives you, that changes who you are and how you conduct business, that’s a problem, in my opinion. If a writer is reacting all the time, they’re not creating their own unique path.

In one particular case where jealousy was aimed at me, I had another person point out that yes, this writer was clearly gunning for me. I knew it, but you just try to ignore it. But others were seeing it. I removed myself from the situation. Seemed the best solution as I wasn’t really enjoying the interactions anyway.

The best part? That other writer is now one of my closest writing pals. Just the other day she sent me a story idea she thought one of the places I write for might like!