You often say: “I am writing a book.”

You rarely say the rest:“I want to write words that influence, words that inspire, words that matter.”

You spend hours with imaginary friends instead of real ones. You imagine whole galaxies, supporting characters with back stories that are never told, and grow a little giddy when creating that multi-layered bad guy.

Is that you?

Yeah, it’s me, too.

Yet, sometimes, I feel lost on the path to a dream fading from my hope, overwhelmed by the practiced and polished voices that surround me, convinced that mine will never compare.

I’ve learned to repeat these three things to myself.

1)     Comparison murders the muse, and it kills your creativity. Don’t do it. Just don’t. Practice reading beautiful works without comparing. You are building your ability, and you are learning. Give yourself time… and a decent editor.

2)     The submission process is almost exactly that clichéd definition of insanity. Expect to hit send on a piece and hear nothing, or they respond, and it wasn’t with a resounding yes. Limit yourself to half a day of mourning. And, then, you get up, and do it all over again – and again, expecting a different result.

3)     Baby, submit it and forget it. Divorce that piece. Find a new love. ASAP. It is DEAD to you! Keep moving forward, keep working, and for the love of Hemingway, keep writing!!