Why instant feedback on the internet can be BAD

This past week I was in PEI Canada - working with companies.  Given the beauty of the surroundings and given that my wife was with me with no teenagers - I stopped Twittering, Blogging and Facebook Posting. 

From this I learned that instant feedback from the web had caused me to change the "voice" of my writing.   Over time I had learned how to post messages and content that maximized chances of "retweets" "blog postings" , blah, blah, blah.

Instead of saying what I believed - I was writing based on what I thought the audience wanted.  The result was a "dumbing down" of my messages.  And, a lack of authenticity. 

I'm reminded of what Erskine Smith - noted theatrical director and leader of the Victoria Playhouse  - told me as I was preparing for the opening of North Pole Tenderfoot (a one man play I'd written).  Erskine said, "tomorrow a review will come out in the newspaper on your show.  What I've learned is to not believe the bad review OR the good reviews.   What you need to do is do the show you want to do.  If you do that you'll always be happy - and the audience will in the end be happy too."  

I've learned the same thing with my books.  Two were written based on what I believed - two were written to be commercial successes.  The ones I believed in have outsold the others 20 to 1. 

So from now on - I'm only writing what I believe.

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