What Do You Really Want?

Hope everyone enjoyed your holiday. I'm taking advantage of being able to stay up late and sleep in.

Hard to believe I've been posting here for almost a year now. During that time I achieved a series of firsts: judging a contest, in which I also served as category coordinator, participating in an author reading, and sitting on my first panel. And yes, I've worked on my writing, promotion, blogging, etc. My intention is to secure two contracts in 2012.

While I can't guarantee I'll meet my goal I can say there is one way I won't achieve it. If I do nothing. And that brings me to the point of this post.

If you want something, go after it. If you want to be a writer, write. Stop making excuses. Even if it's only 100 words a day, that's better than zero. 

That said, there are situations that make it difficult to write. I'm talking about people who wistfully talk about wanting to write but never make any attempt at it.

Why is this? Is it a fear people won't like their story? A worry they won't be published? Hell, I submitted a story to my editor and she gave me a "revise and resubmit" type of rejection. Am I going to cry in my beer? Hell, no. I'm polishing that damn manuscript til it gleams then resubmitting it. Should she reject it, I already have a list of publishers to send to.

I want to be a published author with more than one contract. This is my motivation, my drive to succeed. I understand my stories are too short (novellas and short novels) to attract an agent. That's okay. Maybe one day.

Look hard and long at the reasons holding you back from achieving your goal. If it's something you can change, go for it. Because you're the one who has to want it badly enough.

All best to you in 2012!