Perseverance is a State of Mind

Perseverance is a state of mind. I continue to believe that even though my brain and body is exhausted from trying to juggle a full time job, a busy household, and the ups and downs of being an author.

Some days, I couldn’t even put my clothes on straight. One day, I went to work with my skort (shorts inside a skirt :). Lov’em) on backwards. I wondered why the front pooched out while the fabric across my butt was too tight. Another day, I wore my scrub top inside out. Thank goodness it was Halloween. No one thought anything of it.

This post will be short because of time constraints, but I wanted to share what I learned this week. If you have the will, you will find a way to accomplish what you want to, even if you feel like pulling your hair out by the roots.

Today, I set up a signing at a small bookstore for myself and a handful of other authors, and contacted some big name local authors I hope will join us. I contacted my web designer to have trading cards made for my two paranormal romances. I emailed my editor to make sure edits for my contemporary novella was on its way to me. I wanted to keep to my goal of a 12/3 release day. And last night, I tackled the biggest beast of them all — edits for my upcoming paranormal, MY FALLEN. For the past week, I’ve been stuck on the first chapter.

Finally, on my Iphone (yes, my eyes were bleeding), I went chapter by chapter and wrote down the necessary (on a word doc) changes that needed to be made as recommended by my editor. Then I emailed that document to myself and used what I wrote to guide me as I went along. The changes were small, but important. After all, it had to do with the craft of scene and sequence. Can’t really have one without the other, and of course scene and sequence ties in to pacing, believable dialogue, showing versus telling, and etc. I’m crossing my fingers all the hard work will eventually pay off. Like my editor reminds me, this journey is a marathon, not a sprint.

We’re authors and we’re human. We want to be wanted, recognized, rewarded, and valued for our hard work. And sometimes, we might be less patient to wait for the great results we want or expect.

So . . . deep breath, finish edits for MY FALLEN and IF ONLY, and continue forward. Perseverance is a fine attribute to have, but I find having the courage to say no or to ask for help is a good thing too. Our characters shouldn’t be the only ones who grow and learn in this journey we call life.

Quote of the week:  “Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do.”

Song of the week: Bruno Mars “Locked Out of Heaven”