I also want to write the novel everyone remembers. Not a people pleasing one, but a really good one. Something special.

Expressions of your inner self are important.

The rest you will always displease someone. Anyway you look, anyway you act, will ALWAYS displease someone. What pleases someone will displease someone else. Because of that, it is more important to please yourself in those matters.

I too should have started earlier, but then again I think I am much older than you. But I still have the time. I hope at least.

I also toy with the idea of giving up. Just slacking seems so much easier (and other people think I'm just a slacker anyway despite my daily struggles). But don't. The perfect life.... you cannot have. What matters, you can have. You just have to focus your energy on it. You are probably pretty and a good friend, so don't worry about those. If you want to be creative, you must focus your energy on that. Because you only have the energy of one person.

I know you are very intelligent and talented. Forget about the shell. Focus on depth.