i write, in part, because i want people to read my words and go "ooh ahh!" and tell me how wonderful my writing is. i also write because i think of things that i believe are worth saying; i believe my opinions and ideas about the way the world is can have a good effect in the world. people can read my ideas and perhaps be inspired or guided to do good things. and i write because i have to. it's my nature.

i do not write so that i can serve as a place for small-minded people to demonstrate how very little that matter. i do not write, and then publish to blogs (for example) so that someone with nothing of value to say can use my words as an opportunity to spew self-hating crap. but this is what happens at times. it's part of the territory. on my own websites, i can delete their garbage and block them as users, and on other people's sites, i can just ignore them (and frequently enjoy seeing myself defended by others; that is very nice).

i don't write for money (dammit) or fame or to make up for all the ickiness in life. i write for myself, and the best part of that is that when i am attacked for reasons that have nothing to do with my writing, i can simply ignore it! yay. i have my words, and they are more than enough to shield me.