Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.
Henry David Thoreau

Sometimes dreams die. Sometimes they fade away. But sometimes you feel that you have to kill them because you’re not up to the task. I recently read an email from an aspiring writer who has decided to quit. She said that giving up the dream of being a published author feels like a great loss, but that she doesn’t have the personality to deal with all the heartache of rejection, the competition of the writing life and lack of encouragement. Plus, even if she did get published, she’s too shy to deal with all the publicity authors have to do and she can’t write fast enough to make a real living etc…

I know she’s not alone out there so I want to address this issue openly. Here’s some advice for anyone thinking of packing it in.

First, desire is enough. You don’t need to be super tough, super confident, super ambitious or super anything to succeed. There are clever writers, silly writers, bold writers and scared writers. The difference between them and their unpublished counterparts is that they write and submit their work.

Second you don’t have to start with fiction. Publishing and promoting fiction is hard work so try non-fiction as a start instead. Write a brief article on something you know. People are always interested in knowledge. I once sold a filler called “How to stay awake in class.” It was in a little college magazine, but it meant I was published. There’s no harm in dreaming big and starting small.

But what about that big word REJECTION? This stops a lot of people. I know of a very talented acquaintance that received one rejection from an editor and never submitted again. She said it was too painful. And don’t tell me it wasn’t personal because it certainly felt personal. I understand. Some rejections slice through your heart, especially if the editor is nasty (however there are some who offer good advice) or you get a form rejection that offers you nothing but a giant NO (said politely of course).

For those of you who hate rejection here is a suggestion: Don’t read them. Get someone else to do that—a friend, a parent, your kid, someone you trust. Many authors use their agents as a rejection buffer, you can start early.

Next is the fear of the writing life. A lot of aspiring authors suffer from information overload. Sometimes you need to take a break from the writing conferences, the writing magazines, the online groups, the organizations where everyone is bemoaning about the industry and throwing around dire statistics and telling you what you must do to succeed.

Relax. The world is bigger than the publishing industry and focusing on it can give you a very narrow view of life. Everyone’s career is different. You can be different and still succeed. You can make colossal mistakes and still succeed. If you’re shy you can still stay at home and reach the world through your computer.

Also you don’t have to write full-time. You don’t have to live on cans of beans in a hovel while you struggle to get your writing career off the ground. You can still live comfortably while you write on the side. You don’t have to be assertive and brash to deal with the competition. Just focus on your work, it will handle the competition for you.

Don’t give up on a dream too soon. If you have it, you were meant to claim it. I know. I’ve thought about quitting lots of times and sometimes I still do (I’ll change my name and start afresh), but the only reason I’m here is because I didn’t and a new book comes out because I’m still writing. Because that’s what it really comes down to–the joy of putting words on a page (or a screen or wherever you like to scribble). I keep moving forward and that’s all you have to do. Take each day as it comes and tend to your dreams tenderly. I wish you all good luck.