Help me! I need help with feelings of anger and envy. Any advice?

Hi there. I’m going to be as concise as I can.

Ok, basically, a few years ago, I met my best friend and we kicked it off by our love of books and reading. I’ve been an ambitious writer since I was a child, and I told her that I’d had a few novels written. She seemed to like the idea, so she began writing novels too, which was great.

A year later, we always talked and chatted about our characters and our dreams of being published. I had told her that I had a fanbase on a self-publishing site, and she kind of shrugged at the idea. I sensed some envy off her. However, I NEVER rubbed it in her face. I never rub my own hobbies in anyone’s face. I tried talking to other people about my book – my other friends – and no one ever seemed to care about my passion. They did ask to read a few chapters, and I gave them copies, and when I asked what they thought, they claimed they didn’t remember much but thought it was ‘good’. Any other day, though, they kind of looked away in boredom when I spoke of it and waited until I shut my mouth before they got a chance to change the subject. From then on, and over the years since, I have NEVER spoke about my novel properly to anyone, because no cares. And I learned my lesson.

My friend, on the other hand, recently wrote a new novel. She doesn’t shut up about it. Honestly, I do become so irritated with her because it’s all we talk about, and my work is left out; work that I’ve spent years crafting and perfecting. However, as a fellow writer, I listen and offer advice and chat about it, knowing the excitement of writing a new book. But, this is where it gets annoying and causes me to sulk. She met some new friends (which happen to belong to my friend group as well) and she has introduced them to her new novel.

They go crazy over it. I don’t know why. It’s the same genre as mine, and I don’t want to sound cocky, or mean, or overzealous, but I know I’m a more skilled writer than her, as I’ve been in the field longer and have seen some of her work, which does need improvement in certain areas. But, every time her and I enter a room, all eyes turn to her and they actually screech her name in zeal! They ask her about the book, when they can read the next chapter, what’s happening and such. But me? I’m completely invisible. In fact, sometimes I just left the room completely because no one bothered to say ‘hello’ to me. I didn’t mind at first, and was happy for her, but her ‘readers’ are just besotted with her. I know for a fact that they actually do not like me or what I do, for some reason. One of her ‘readers’ named a dog after one of her characters, and another nearly cried over a death scene in the book.

I just feel worthless, and that I should give up on my writing if a novice writer is receiving the attention I, as a hopefully future author, craves. Am I doing something wrong? I’m very aware that I’m not popular at my school. I have a reputation for being ‘weird’ and ‘cold’ and ‘freaky’, but I don’t bully or hurt anyone.

I feel like I can’t control my anger any longer at this. Maybe I’m being egotistical, I don’t know. I would just love someone to care about something that’s a huge part of my life. I’d really appreciate some advice and how to overcome such a childish thing. It’s good to get this off my chest.