There was once a girl who enjoyed writing. She didn't want people to read her stories because it felt like reading her own diary. One day, she found a website that let writers and readers interact.

She took a step and posted her first story online. It was like wearing her heart on her sleeve. She didn't expect anything, but the more she updated, the more people read her story.

Time passed, the girl created more stories. She met new friends, and gained more readers.

She dreamed of being a published writer, but she knew that it was close to impossible. She even had doubts about her own works.

It took her by surprise when a publishing company offered to publish one of her stories. She could not believe it. She thought she was dreaming. She let her parents read the message for her because her hands were shaking.

She agreed, and they had a meeting to talk about her book.

The publishing process was hard; there were nights when she couldn’t sleep. It was a difficult decision to agree to delete some of the scenes from the original draft of her story. It was like killing her babies. Babies mean words. They had a deal to stick with a number of words.

She couldn’t do anything about it. It even made her question herself if it was the right thing.

There were times when she thought she was going insane. She had no one to talk to. She didn’t tell her friends about what’s going on with her story. She was all by herself. She couldn’t ask opinions and advice because she had no one.

No matter what, she didn’t lose hope.

She reminded herself then not to be sad because it’ll be worth it in the end. Besides, it was her dream. Soon, it will happen in real life.

In order to gain something, you need to sacrifice something in return.

She went on with it. She accepted the changes. She believed everything will pay off. Her faith kept her alive and cheerful.

The first time she saw her book, she cried. It was indeed a dream come true. Words weren’t enough to describe what’s going on in her head, especially what her heart screamed. She hugged the book to her chest, and she felt the characters hugging her back.

Her book went on sale at bookstores. She was so happy, especially when she first saw it on her favourite bookstore. It felt like walking on Cloud 9. She thought she was dreaming. But she was awake, and finally, reality was better than her dream.

More people knew her. They read her book, and posted their photos online. She met new people. She went to different places for her book signing with her writer friends.

Everything was magical.

It was more than she expected.

She was always smiling and laughing because she had no reason to be sad.

She looked back and remembered the times when she thought of giving up. Now she was beyond that phase. She moved on, and now she was a new person; better than before.

Sometime later, she checked her Goodreads account. She was surprised when she saw her book on the dashboard, so she clicked it. She was curious what people think of the published version.

There was a smile on her face as she read the reviews. They gave her book high ratings. As she scrolled down, the reviews got meaner and critical.

She knew she had to stop at that moment because if not, her self-confidence will backfire. But she didn’t. Instead, she continued until the very end.

What shocked her most was about the people saying her story didn’t deserve to be published because there were more good stories than hers.

They gave her a one star.

She stared at her laptop; slowly processing the words in her head.

Her doubts slowly crept in.

Those people didn’t have an idea that when the girl got the offer, she asked herself many times if her story was worth publishing. They didn’t know that before the writer posted her stories online, she was the first one to judge them.

She knew herself that she wasn’t good enough, but she gave everything in writing her stories; her hopes, dreams, frustrations and fears were in those stories. The characters became her friends. The world they were living in became her haven.

Those haters had no idea that writing and sharing your stories with readers was like letting them see your soul.

It was not easy to let people see inside of you.

But those people who knew nothing were so easy to complain and quick to bash. They didn’t care if their words hurt the writer, or much less stomped her self-esteem.

Some people don’t understand anything so they go ahead and judge because it’s the only thing they can do.

She talked to her friends one time about it. It was her first time to tell them something that’s bothering her. Writing is personal to her.

While she was speaking, tears flow from her eyes. Like a mother protecting her child, she didn’t want people trash talking her stories. Her works have a special place in her heart.

After, she felt light, like a heavy burden suddenly lifted off her shoulders.

She also realized later that she didn’t need anyone’s approval. She will write whatever she wants because she’s the writer; she’s in control of everything. It doesn’t matter if people will like her stories or not because she doesn’t write to please people.

She decided to ignore the hateful comments; they will just bring her down. Instead, she promised herself she won’t let them. They may be persistent in annoying her but she will make them her anchor to strive to be the best that she can be. The bad things they said about her and her story; she will change for the better.

It’s a short life, she thought. She didn’t want stress and drama.

She’s not a fan of hatred and revenge. She didn’t want to hold a grudge against anyone. She will forget that their words hurt her. She will just remember the learning this experience taught her.