How similar is my own writing to that of the authors I like?
Right off the bat, I was not a fan of this question. It really turned me off. Maybe even pissed me off a little.
I was all like, “[BLEEP] you, voice on high” (otherwise known as the Café’s editors). “I don’t write like anybody. My style is my own. Maybe you’re the ones who are a bunch of derivative mother-[BLEEP]ers.”
I’m not going to lie. It wasn’t pretty. I went on like that for a good, solid five . . . days, but really who’s counting? The point is I had this immediate protective reaction for not only the stories I create but the way I create them. The thought that this voice I’m trying to cultivate might have its origins with someone else was upsetting and disheartening, and it sent my brain spiraling into what I can only describe as a mental hissy fit.