There's no such thing

There's no such thing as an overnight success in the writing world. If you even knew dear reader, the hours and days, months and years that writers put in. Reading, writing, workshopping, editing, and taking craft classes. It's such a labor of love, without much reward for years and years, that you can only do it if you must. If you must. 

I write because it's the only way I can breathe deeply. Otherwise, I'm breathing shallow, always.

When I write, I lose myself in the process. I've had one magic instance where I wrote a story in two hours that came out as a final draft. It was accepted by a well known journal that same weekend. But that's only happened once, and I've written so many stories. That story was about my grandpa and he just must have been whispering it in my ear. Looking down at me. 

But usually, it's not that easy. Usually, it's a series of frustrating fits and starts, with sometimes only a couple of paragraphs or pages after a few hours early morning for days... weeks.

Essays are easier for me. They're structured; researched, and the voice is different. It's more authoritative. For me, the stories in child and YA voice are the hardest because I must find that piece of my young self that still exists. It's part channeling, part craft but so much fun at times. 

The hardest part for me has been the rejection. Looking for an agent for years and giving up. Thinking I would never publish my book. Then it came together, finally, after so many years of hard work. I found not one, but two dream publishers who totally got me. Now I have two books. And I plan on more. 

So friends, remember that writers write. My advice is to write your stories for you. Then submit them to journals to see if they work. You'd be surprised at beginner's luck, you might publish something right away. And then, nothing for years. Don't give up. It's gonna be okay. 

If you can visualize it, it will happen. Maybe when you're fifty like me and you finally will it into being. You wished so hard for it that it came true. Dammit. It can come true for you too. I promise you. 

So write till your fingers hurt and your eyes blur. Write. Put blood on the page. Be true to your art. No matter what. 

Write. Then write some more.