Perseverance

Perseverance: continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition

Seems like just a few months ago when I began writing. I read everything I could on the craft. I joined critique groups, entered contests. Wrote, learned and kept writing. I just knew if I kept with it eventually I WOULD sell a book. People would read stories that I'd created and want more. My heroes would be loved, my heroines admired and every word I wrote would be magical.

When started my first romance, my oldest son was about 16 years old. I hoped if I stuck with it and worked hard, I could possibly be close to selling by the time he graduated high school. That didn't happen, so I thought maybe by the time my second son graduated high school in three years I might see my dream come true.

I did final in the Golden Heart before that graduation along with two of my writing friends. I had a step in the right direction with a request from Harlequin Superromance and Special Edition. But one of those turned into a rejection and I let life get in my way and didn't follow through with the other. My second son graduated and years passed. I gave up on my dreams for a while. I did NOT persevere in my writing and life went on. It wasn't until my third child graduated from high school that the dreams I'd had of writing and publication began to flicker to life again.

So here I am - writing again. I can't help but wonder what might have been if I'd have just stuck with it after the Golden Heart final and really had continued to push toward that goal instead of letting that fear of failure and a lot of life drama get in my way? Would I have been published by now as many of my writing friends have gone on to be?

I guess there really is no way to know for sure what might have happened, but there is knowing that moving forward this can not be a dream that is lightly given up on. I have one more child at home and 5 years before he graduates. I might not have sold a book before my first child left the nest, but there is a chance I can be before my last one does.

Writing is not an easy thing. It's putting a little bit of yourself out there every time you do it and taking the chance that it will be misunderstood, hated and criticized. But there is also that tiny chance that it will be loved.

That is worth the trying for.