Currently Reading: Return to the Hiding Place, by Hans Poley. I loved The Hiding Place, and I'd seen this book, just never read it. Haven't started it yet, but am eager to see his point of view. He was one of the people the ten Booms sheltered during WWII.
5 pm...Just finished RTHP and am now on Rush's 1st book, The Way Things Ought to Be...proof that I didn't check to see which books were in this box before I started randomly grabbing them! I did check when this one came out; at least 2 more biographies and then back to fiction...and of course, when payday comes, my weekly e-book buy, or maybe two:)
Read something today in my daily devotional I'd like to share. And I think it pertains to everyone, not just writers.
The author of today's devotional, Joshua Sundquist, had lost a leg several years ago, and was training for a Paralympic ski race. His coach had told him, "It's not the falling that matters for you as much as the getting back up."
So true.
How many times do we as writers, or even in life, get discouraged because of something someone else says? We have a choice; we can shrug it off and keep trying, or we can give in to self-pity and quit. Authors, as well as athletes, have to develop thick skin if we're going to succeed. A rejection, a reader who tells us they don't like our work, or even people in our lives who ask, "So when are you going to write a real book?" can take a toll on our self-confidence. But this is our dream, so eventually we keep going. Personally, I was floored when I learned there were people out there who didn't think e-books were 'real', and I have yet to hear this criticism. My hubby's opinion doesn't count, as 'real books' to him are auto manuals, westerns, and anything written by Sylvia Brown, ha ha!
With that in mind, I'm choosing not to slam my beloved Colts. Yes, they were beaten by the Chargers, and only lost by 4 points. But hey, they made it all the way last year, and I have every confidence they will do the same again someday. In the meantime, maybe this is Eli's year? How many families can say they have 2 pro quarterbacks in the NFL? If the Giants make it to the big dance, then I'll still wear my Manning outfit, never mind the fact it's the wrong color. At least I'll be cheering on the little brother, since Big Bro won last year! And if they don't...well, I'll wear it anyhow. The party's at my house; I can wear anything I darn well want!
Called my author rep today and harassed him. "Why is it when I was trying to publish, you'd pick up on the first ring, and now that I have, you can't return my phone calls?"
"It's been extremely crazy around here..."
"Yeah, I bet. You've got another author who's wanting to publish, so you're giving her your undivided attention...I know how you are..." (Laughter all around...he knew I really wasn't irritated with him)
And then he informed me the special discount on my copies only pertained if I bought 100 or more. I don't want that many copies of my own book, thankyouverymuch. Only 10 or 20. I do have a signing coming up in March or April, as soon as I get my butt over to talk to the manager, as well as at least 3 copies in my hot little hand, in order to set it up and put those copies on the shelf. But I've got a problem...I only have 2 copies left, and one has my toddler's 'autograph' or artwork in it. So....that one's my official copy!
Anthony laughed with me some more ( he's told me before I always cheer him up with my humor) and he transferred me to the people who could answer my question. So it looks as if I'll be buying 25 copies next month with our lovely tax refund.
Back to my original point: We are always going to stumble and fall in life, but it's what happens afterwards that shapes our characters. I've heard that failure isn't getting knocked down; it's staying down. Successful people get back up and try again. Dungy, Manning, Harrison...they'll all be back next year. So will the authors who are sending query after query. It took me 5 years between books 1 and 2 (okay, the fact I had a baby and we took a financial ride down a whirlpool accounted for part of it), but I didn't give up; I kept going. And I know I'll find a home for book #3, as well as the others I've written.
If you get knocked down, dust yourself off and get up again. No matter what the circumstance, be it financial, career-wise, relationship-wise, or in athletics. Other people are watching you, and you never know who you're going to inspire, simply because you kept on trying.
Persistance, not perfection, is what counts.
-Joshua Sundquist
Do you believe this? Think about who your heroes are.
5 comments:
Do you really think it's safe to expose so much personal info on the web. They're so many crazies out there. Unlike most bloggers, you ID you children's names, show their pictures and divulge where you live. Also, you announce that your husband is often away. Is really the safest way to communicate your thoughts to other bloggers. The crazies monitor here too.
Ok...interesting first comment by anonymous. My, there's a lot of them around - like Smith's
I'm a great believer in getting up each time you're knocked down just to prove the bastards who knocked you down wrong.
Definitely dust off and keep going. But in the persistence find improvement or the knockdowns won't stop and you won't have learned. "You" not directed specifically, just generally. A body has to learn, to get better.
A: Comment noted and taken under advisement.
AJ and K: Good point!
Whenever I had a hard time, my father would say God has something for you to learn. Once I went through nearly the same event a second time.
After a quiet moment, my dad said, "Maybe you didn't learn from the first time around?"
So I always try to learn the "first time around" so I don't have to repeat a second.
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