Wisdom, From Writing Something That Went Viral
My secrets for handling online trolls who spew hatred
One thing’s for certain, besides death and taxes: if you happen to write something that takes off — whether it’s a best-selling novel, or a social media post that gets shared, or even goes viral— you will attract a large, relentless group of online trolls. They spew hatred and ignorance, they come in all shapes and sizes, and nowhere is completely free of them. Most people already understand this, but most people aren’t accustomed to being on the receiving end of it, either.
Anyone who writes, regardless of subject matter, should at least be prepared to deal with hate trolls effectively. If you have writing that takes off (which, by the way, is almost always the unexpected pieces — the ones you considered not publishing at all), you can count on amassing a plague of trolls.
I speak from experience. A few years ago, I wrote an open letter and shared it publicly on Facebook — my first public post, ever — and it went viral, literally overnight. It was regarding my youngest of three kids, who happens to be *transgender.
*This is a topic surrounded by an unusual amount of ignorance and misunderstanding to begin with. Transphobia exists even within the LGB community, because gender identity and sexual…
