The quote in the meme is true. Before, I have written about, trying to control others behavior, and how this will lead madness. I also feel trying to control outcomes you have little to no control over will lead to insanity.So, what does this have to do with writing? Expecting people to behave a certain way will lead to disappointment and or idiocy. Here is a short list of impending disappointments.Your neighbors, or the universe in general will give you perfect writing conditions. Forget it. You will never have “perfect” writing conditions. You will always be too tired, the dog will be too loud, your back will hurt too much, pick an excuse. If you are waiting for perfect conditions to write you will always be disappointed, when you don’t have them, as an extension you will be angry at the universe for conspiring against you and your masterpiece.Friends, family, loved ones, will rush out, buy your book, read it, and love it. Sorry, not going to happen. If you expect it to happen you will be disappointed. You are going to have people that read what you have written and hate it, then to protect your ego they will lie to your face about their feelings. Sorry I sound pessimistic but it is going to happen. Expecting otherwise is insanity.People will review your book. Don’t hold your breath. The statistic that get thrown around is 5% of readers will review your book. I think this is a fair estimation of the quantity of reviews you will receive. I don’t understand the logic of people and their fear of reviewing an item but, very few people will do it. Don’t get pissed when your favorite Aunt Edna tells you she will write a review then never does. It is going to happen. Is the review worth damaging your relationship over?Don’t expect all great reviews. You might believe you have written the best book ever and you belong on the shelf alongside Faulkner, Hemmingway and Poe, chances are you didn’t. That’s okay. The great thing is, like most activities, people become better writers by writing. So, you get a bad review, first thing you should do is thank the person for taking the time to read, then write something about your book, it does take time after all, then move on. Don’t dwell on a bad review. If on the other hand you are getting constructive feedback over and over you might want to consider what is being said. The choice of course is yours, but I have a saying, “If you don’t want a truthful answer to a question, don’t ask it.”You’re going to sell millions of copies and get rich. Odds are, no you’re not. If you’re lucky, you will sell enough books to cover your advertisement expenses. If you’re writing to become rich and famous, I highly suggest you look for another avenue for fame and fortune. Writing is hard work. Making the time and the self-control to do what needs to be done is a pain. Marketing your books and finding people to buy your books can be a full-time job. Odds are stacked against you from the start.Expecting people to do what you can’t control is exhausting. If you can be happy doing anything other than writing I highly suggest, you go it. If on the other hand, you can’t stop the voices, the stories in your head need to come out, your heart sinks when you think you will never be able to create again, maybe you have the grit to be a writer. Just check your expectations at the door and live in the moment, or you will surely be disappointed.