When people tell me they appreciate my work, I'm generally more embarrassed than anything else. However, I am extraordinarily happy, and being an extrovert, it goes a long way toward inspiring me to write more works. As far as being recognized in public is concerned, however, it hasn't happened yet.
I actually rewrote the first three books I wrote, The Stream series. Although they received pretty good reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, I felt they could be more tightly written. After writing another 5 or 6 books, it started bothering me that I couldn't apply what I'd learned about writing to these. So, I set out editing and ended up rewriting quite a bit without changing the story. Stupidly, however, I changed the titles, since I'd always hated the original ones: (Discovery, Awakening, and Emprise.) I now call them Grandfather Time, The Wanderling, and Mastery of All, which I love, but now no one knows they're the same books as before, just better.
I do read them. Although I know better, I still allow the bad ones to bother me. I try to learn from legitimate criticism and incorporate that into my writing or marketing. To date, few have criticized the actual writing. Most don't like bits of subject matter that I tackle, which I understand. If I feel the comments are unfair, then I talk about them to people I trust and see what, if anything, I should take away.
Good reviews I take with a bigger grain of salt. Don't get me wrong; I love them and they keep me going. But mostly, I take away that one person liked what I've done. I can't allow myself to believe that means I've somehow "arrived." Instead, it simply validates that I've done my job -- that time. On to the next work.
Stop trying to write fiction before you learn to write concisely and persuasively. Don't pay any attention to how others write fiction or to what authors tell you that you should or shouldn't do or what you can and cannot write.
First, learn to write well. Business or technical writing helps, and writing concise proposals are the equivalent of graduate school. You'll learn how to tell a simple story with as few words as possible. Next, spend your time coming up with good story ideas, and don't try to write a story until you know what it's about. Finally, I would tell my younger self that in this era, writing is a sport, not a vocation. You won't get rich, you may not get noticed, and that is going to have to be alright. Write because you can't keep the words in and for no other reason.
If it's emotionally draining and stressful, you're probably doing it wrong. It should be work--or at least parts of it are. But you should be gaining energy from writing. If you're not, then ask yourself if this is really what you want to do. Writing can be therapeutic, but that's a one- or two-book vocation. If you want to be a professional writer, then you must love coming up with stories, exploring characters, influencing minds, and most importantly, you must love language. If those things aren't true, then ask yourself why you actually want to write.
