Believe In Your Work
—Believe In Your Work—
This has been difficult, as of late. On the query front I’ve hit a bit of a rejection streak these past few weeks. I was hoping to start off the new year with a few manuscript requests; I was met with four rejections, instead. It gets old—and tiresome—the sting, but it’s a reminder—the ever-present reminder—that the competition is real. But I keep pushing. And hey, I still have one full request out there. Fingers still crossed!
I return to teaching post-Winter Break this upcoming Monday. I’m excited. A new semester always feels like the first day of school. I get to resume my daily routine. My productivity tends to wane during these times of respite. Needed, yes, but happy to get back to work, nonetheless. It’s been a full two weeks of time off: family in Spokane, friends and New Years in Palomar Mountain, Palm Springs with in-laws, and now back home with the Beautiful One. “All of life is a journey home.” Someone famous said that, I think. I couldn’t agree more. It always feels good to be home.
Though while on break, I decided to—yet again—read through NIGHTLIGHTER. One, because I like the book. And two, because I need a somewhat regular sense of security in my work. Receiving rejection after rejection is taxing; sometimes I just need to remind myself that I have—that I wrote—a quality product. It’s a book I truly believe in. It can be easy to forget that when slugging through the query trenches. It’s also a means to catch tiny spelling and syntax errors (yes, I still found some even after countless hours of editing and revising :(( ). I still find that I resonate with so many of the characters—with Kohra, right at the outset. She’s down, lost, hurt. She doesn’t know who she is, where she came from. And much of the story is her figuring that out. I see myself in her plight on days like today.
Yet still, there is hope. There is light at the end of the tunnel. (Forgive the cliché pun, but I couldn’t help myself here. In Chapter 1 of NIGHTLIGHTER Kohra is literally lost in a tunnel.) I have a great piece of literature. I’ve spent oodles of time and $$ proving (mostly to myself, lol) that it is. I believe in my work. And you should too. If it’s honest, brings yourself and others joy, and makes a lasting impact on the world, you’ve got yourself a winner.
That last line felt a little mushy-gushy, but I gotta run to play some cards with friends and eat pizza. Eat pizza sometimes.
That’s it for now.
Peace & love.
-Taylor
TJH -- 01.07.2024