Taking Chances
I recently watched a movie called Charlie St. Cloud (probably because Zac Efron is the main character.)
In the movie, there is a quote that is brought up throughout.
The poem is:
"Trust your heart if the seas catch fire, live by love though the stars walk backward."
It's by E.E. Cummings.
This quote, as said repeatedly in the movie, is about taking chances.
When I heard it- I started to think about the chances that I take and why I take them.
When my cover was revealed for my novel, and more people started to read my excerpt on Goodreads, I was so unbelievably excited. But, I was also overcome with anxiety. As my Twitter flooded with tweets from blogs, I couldn't help but cry. It was the best day of my life, no doubt about that, but I was also very, very nervous about what was to come.
When my cover was revealed this all became REAL.
I realized that everyone I have ever known would be reading MY BABY in a few short months. And, the thought came to mind, what if they don't like it?
Of course, I went into my mother's room, and explained my anxiety. My mother has told me from the very beginning that what I'm handling right now is very "adult" and it is long beyond my years. The reality is most 19-year-olds do not get their novels published. So this is uncharted territory, especially for our family.
After reminding me of this, my mother then said, "for every person who doesn't like it, I'm sure there will be one person who does." At the time, I brushed the comment off, wishing she had better advice to calm me down.
But now, when I think about it, I understand what she was trying to say.
My novel is raw. My novel has very intense themes- and it is not for the faint-hearted. But, that's what I love about it! My novel takes chances.
So, as my mother said- there will definitely be some people that don't understand it or believe in it. But, there may be some who do- that read it and connect with it.
Yes, I'm taking a risk.
I put my heart and soul into this novel- and it may get great reviews, and it may not. It may work out, it may not. Maybe I'll be a bestseller, maybe I won't.
I'm sure as my release date gets closer, I will get more and more anxious about the unknown. That's expected at this point. But, either way, I'll know that I put myself out there. And that's enough for me.
In the movie, there is a quote that is brought up throughout.
The poem is:
"Trust your heart if the seas catch fire, live by love though the stars walk backward."
It's by E.E. Cummings.
This quote, as said repeatedly in the movie, is about taking chances.
When I heard it- I started to think about the chances that I take and why I take them.
When my cover was revealed for my novel, and more people started to read my excerpt on Goodreads, I was so unbelievably excited. But, I was also overcome with anxiety. As my Twitter flooded with tweets from blogs, I couldn't help but cry. It was the best day of my life, no doubt about that, but I was also very, very nervous about what was to come.
When my cover was revealed this all became REAL.
I realized that everyone I have ever known would be reading MY BABY in a few short months. And, the thought came to mind, what if they don't like it?
Of course, I went into my mother's room, and explained my anxiety. My mother has told me from the very beginning that what I'm handling right now is very "adult" and it is long beyond my years. The reality is most 19-year-olds do not get their novels published. So this is uncharted territory, especially for our family.
After reminding me of this, my mother then said, "for every person who doesn't like it, I'm sure there will be one person who does." At the time, I brushed the comment off, wishing she had better advice to calm me down.
But now, when I think about it, I understand what she was trying to say.
My novel is raw. My novel has very intense themes- and it is not for the faint-hearted. But, that's what I love about it! My novel takes chances.
So, as my mother said- there will definitely be some people that don't understand it or believe in it. But, there may be some who do- that read it and connect with it.
Yes, I'm taking a risk.
I put my heart and soul into this novel- and it may get great reviews, and it may not. It may work out, it may not. Maybe I'll be a bestseller, maybe I won't.
I'm sure as my release date gets closer, I will get more and more anxious about the unknown. That's expected at this point. But, either way, I'll know that I put myself out there. And that's enough for me.
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