How Gatekeepers Are Quietly Manipulating You — And What They Don’t Want You to Realize
Have you ever noticed how writers often find themselves tangled in a game rigged by promises that shimmer but never quite materialize? It’s like chasing mirages—those golden contracts and glowing gatekeepers who hold all the keys, yet seem hellbent on breaking spirits instead of building careers. I’ve seen more than a few talented souls get chewed up and spat out, their original inspirations sidelined by unwritten rules and disguised ultimatums. The real kicker? Most writers are starving for something simple yet elusive: the freedom to explore their own ideas without selling out to the system’s whims. So, why do we so willingly hand over our creative power, only to blame ourselves when the dream dissolves? If you’re tired of the hustle that strips away authenticity and leaves you doubting your own voice—this one’s for you.
THE RECKLESS WRITER
One of the benefits of getting old is that you’re no longer as interested in external validation
I’ve been in abusive relationships, so I know what they look like. The abuser keeps stringing you along with a bunch of beautiful promises that they know are never going to come true. In fact, abusers often convince themselves that anyone foolish enough to believe their lies deserves to be swindled.
“Obviously I was never going to send you any money. You kept falling for my scam because you’re greedy.”
This dynamic is in play more often than you realize.
I’ve seen a lot of writers fall victim to a similar dynamic. Part of the problem is that we don’t talk about the dangers. Distribution and cash flow isn’t generally a part of the academic approach to literary criticism. The result is that we hand over tremendous power to gatekeepers and we fail to install a mechanism of accountability.
Almost every writer I know is chasing a big money contract even though they probably despise everything they have to do in order to get one. They hold themselves to a bunch of unstated expectations. They write about topics that are deemed socially appropriate or potentially profitable.
As a result, they disregard their own inspiration.
Eventually they turn over manuscripts to gatekeepers. The gatekeepers tear these manuscripts to bits, and then when the novel fails, the writer takes all the blame. Broken, they never try again.
This is a system that’s designed to destroy writers, not elevate them.
When you come right down to it, the only thing that writers want is enough stability and time to explore ideas that actually mean something. The tragic part is that if you chase the empty promises of gatekeepers, you end up depriving yourself of the opportunity to say whatever it is that compelled you to start writing in the first place.
Despite what everyone says, the only path to success begins with being true to yourself.
Most writers get caught up working some unfulfilling job. In whatever free time they manage to scrounge…
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