Hi, Lynn, that’s such an interesting question. Yes, as you mention, many writers struggle with a second book. Including myself! I’m not sure, though, that it was because I was afraid of a comparison with the first book. Rather, the reason was because I had so much trouble “discovering” or “hearing” the voice for the second memoir. The voice in “Love Sick” is quite different from the voice in my first memoir, and it took me a number of years before I heard it—whereas I heard the voice immediately for “Because I Remember Terror….” In other words, each book, each essay, each poem is usually going to present its own challenges. Oh, writing is difficult. But if you've got to do it, you've got to do it!

But, having said this, I’m thinking that what’s most important is to “accept” that each work is going to be different: not better or worse, but different. (Which may help in not comparing?) Easier said than done, however! Right now I am really struggling with an essay, and I’m thinking I don’t like it as much as some of my other essays. Then I try to convince myself to be patient. The essay isn’t finished yet. And, even if I don’t like it as well, still, maybe that's simply as much as I can do with it. Can I accept this? I'll try!

Another consideration: do we write for ourselves or are we trying to please publishers, reviewers, friends, family, readers? As difficult as it is, I think it’s most important to write what WE need to write, in the way we need to write it, without thinking too much about the outside world (at least not during the writing process).

So I think, for all of us, we just need to keep writing, regardless of the end result!