A Pat on the Back
I complain. A lot. (I apologize for that.)
If you're a regular reader of this blog, you've heard me complain about everything from not enough sales to what my characters think they're doing. But not today.
Today I'm going to do the opposite. Today I'm going to give myself a pat on the back.
Why?
Well, not just because I'm really happy with my sales numbers so far for my new release (although I am). And not because I just made a great break through with the hero of the book I'm writing which is going to make for a much richer story (although I did, and I'm doing a little happy dance about that even though it means I've got to stop my forward momentum in my writing of the book to go back now and rewrite a good chunk of the book so far).
No, I'm giving myself a pat on the back for the same reason why I want you to give yourself a pat too (as soon as you're done reading this, naturally). I'm doing so because I deserve it.
I work very hard. I write books! I make people smile, laugh and wipe away the occasional tear with my writing. I entertain people (and myself) with my writing. This is something to be proud of!
When you tell people that you're a writer, how many of you have heard, "Oh, I've got a great idea for a book" or "I've always wanted to write" or "I started a book once" or even "I love reading--not books like the ones you write, but, you know, other books." (Yeah, I've gotten that one a few times… Who admits to reading romance unless you're in a safe place where you know you won't be judged?)
The thing is, so many people "have a book inside of them", but how many actually do the hard work of getting it out? And not just getting it out, but doing so in a way that makes it easy and a pleasure for other people to read?
You did.
And for that you get a pat on your back.
Writing is really hard work! Writing well, even harder. Really working on the craft, the story and, yes, even on the grammar (as much as I hate it, I do work on it) is a lot of really hard work.
And you've done it! In fact, I bet you do it every day. For that alone, you deserve a pat on your back.
It doesn't matter how well your book sells--or doesn't--you got it out there! That is cause for celebration.
So take a moment today, and every day, and give yourself a pat for a job well done.
As my father likes to say, "You done good, kid."
