Before I proceed, let me first give you this Health and Safety warning in regards to the negative emotion of Spite. Handle with care and use this power responsibly.

What do you mean, Anton?

Spite must be used as a means of inspiring and empowering yourself and not as a tool for revenge or hate. I've used the rocket fuel of Spite to propel me further than I could have without it and it's a legitimate tool in my arsenal. 

I started using it a few years back after an author colleague, who I worked beside and admired callously dismissed a proposal I made to him.

Here's some background.

Writers are funny creatures. One of the character traits you must have as a writer is a love for your own company. You don’t have to be an introvert just comfortable spending extended periods alone and enjoying it - for the most part. I think a healthy balance in most things is best, but I'm discovering a type of writer especially in the small black literary scene in the UK that I'm a part of, who wants to have nothing to do with the burgeoning self-publishing community. They have made a breakthrough in traditional publishing and would prefer they were not contaminated by those of us who haven't.  Or the ones who turn up their noses at the speculative fiction posse because they've drunk the Kool-Aid and believe the hype that genre fiction from black authors was somehow inferior.

 

That's cool.

The thing is you just don’t expect that kind of prejudice from an author colleague you know and admire in your circle.

So the brother I'm referring to has acquired success in the mainstream publishing world but hustled among other authors in the circuit including myself, so we got to know each other. Over the years we’d meet at events talk shop, but I could never get him to sit down with me outside of these settings. I just thought it was bad timing on my part. At the time I was thinking of starting a podcast and because of the esteem I held him in,  I asked him to be one of my first guests.

He turned me down point blank.

No discussion. No explanation.

Right or wrong, I  was mad as hell and disappointed but guess what?  It didn't deter me. Instead, it drove me on.

I didn't need him and would do it just as successfully without his input. And it worked like a charm. I hustled like a fiend to get shit done and make it happen. It wasn't the first or neither would it be the last time I harness the power of spite. Remember use responsibly because if you don’t, it will make you bitter and twisted. Not a good look.

There is no greater feeling than to prove somebody wrong about you but there are a right way and a wrong way to go about it. Never show off or rub any ones face in your good fortune, it’s not cool and makes you look like a dick. Let them be envious and jealous on their own accord.

There is no better motivation to prove someone wrong but let your actions do the talking.

The book I'm recommending below comes very close to my observation on using the positive and negative aspects of life to your advantage. Thick Face is a Chinese concept that translates into the ability to adapt to whatever the situation calls for without regards to what people think of you. Use all the tools at your disposal. Just use them responsibly.

Hope it helps.

69 is my futuristic erotic thriller which is available to the Urban Fantastic family for free from the good guys at Instafreebie. I hope you enjoy it.