A Little Optimism

Waiting is hard. In the style of Shakespeare, Waiting Sucketh. Mucheth.

And it is easy to lose hope when you're waiting. Easy to get bogged down in insecurity and wondering if you're writing time might be better spent cleaning the house or trying to recreate that Popsicle stick craft from Pinterest.

(Who knew faux pallet coasters could be so cute?)

I'm beginning to despair a little bit. I believe in my story. I love my story. I want to share that MS with the world. But rejections kind of suck the life out of you and what's remaining of my optimism looks a little like this right now:

 But I ran across this today.
10 Writer Affirmations to Bolster Optimism Or… Turning Whine into Gold by Kathryn Craft


And I have to admit ... it helped. A lot. It's a good reminder of the fierce determination we need to have. And to let the bad stuff slide off, to be unashamed of current failure as it is the foundation of future success. Now my sharkly optimism looks more like this:

What encourages you when you're feeling down? How do you deal with the waiting times?

Ups and Downs

The quest for publication is hard. As with everything in life there are soaring highs and gut-wrenching lows. Kind of like a roller coaster. You paid to get in, you waited in line, and once you're on the ride, you're exhilaration and terrified. You're screaming and laughing and holding your breath.

So here's my advice, writers. The lows come after the highs, and the highs come after the lows. When you're down, always look up. When you're up, never look down.

But always, always, always keep riding.