Countdown to Drama!

As most kidlit blog readers probably know by now, Colleen of Chasing Ray has invited everyone to "enjoy a week of posting loud and long about those things that have been driving them crazy in the publishing world" as of this Monday. In the linked post, she offers up a number of the latest kidlit kerfuffles for potential dissection.

I do plan to post about one of my publishing pet peeves, but I sincerely doubt it's the kind of thing that will start any intense discussion. I discovered many years ago, and have rediscovered periodically along the way, that getting into intense, protracted, online discussion stresses me out. I'm glad people are out there discussing things with vim and vigor—we learn and grow in talking things out—but I try to keep some distance between those discussions and myself.

Basically, I'm just not a fan of drama. Work drama, friendship drama, family drama—count me out, please. It isn't that I don't have deep feelings and strong opinions on the matters at hand. It's that I value my emotional well-being too much to go there. Confrontation, even politely worded (hopefully) online confrontation, sucks away my time, energy, self-esteem, and productivity. I try and save those things for my writing and family life.

This wuss tips her hat to all the wave-makers. I look forward to the discussion... from a safe distance.