We take a break from our Journey in Prose for a moment of inspiration. Writing with the intention to publish is not for the weak hearted, it’s not for the weak willed and it’s most certainly not for the unambitious.
Publishable writing means endless waiting to hear back from agents and editors, rejections by the fistful, and pits of bleakness from which writers wonder if they’ll ever emerge.
Wait, I said inspiration, right? That’s right, this is the fuel for the moment that WILL come. Every second of desolation is ten seconds of elation for that moment when you hear “yes”. That surge of pride when you see your work on the shelves and even that moment when you see a gold sticker that says “Bestseller” next to your name. This image is what awaits you as reality if you are willing to drudge through the trenches to get to the finish line.
So don’t be bogged down by the wait or impossible to decipher form rejections. And certainly don’t let yourself be your own enemy by negative talk and demotivation. Remember what you’re doing this for. Remember your goal, be it reaching others with your message or simply the recognition of your work as a respectable piece of literature.
If you want something bad enough, and you keep at it, eventually you will reach your goals. It’s not about how much you do, or how often you do it, it’s about how consistent you are that you don’t give up. I don’t care if you only write 500 words a day, or if you only edit one page at a time. Maybe you sit in with your critique group once a month. But you’re still doing it, and if you keep it up then you will get there.
There’s a difference between goals and dreams. Dreams are a fleeting desire that flutter about in the clouds until they rain down as icy tears. Goals are the path you walk with the prize waiting for you at the finish line, all you have to do is make it there.
A.J. Flowers 