Everyone Deserves A Chance to Fly!

Okay, so I've been listening to a lot of WICKED in the car recently. You know how you turn it up really loud and scream-sing along with, pretending you're even half as good as Kristin Chenoweth? Yeah, maybe that's just me.

But anyway, my favorite song of the show is "Defying Gravity." It just seems to fit a lot of what I've been feeling, thinking, and going through lately.

So Glinda has told Elphaba that she "can still be with the Wizard. What you've worked and waited for." (Tell me that doesn't apply to publishing!)

And Elphaba says:
"I know:
But I don't want it -
No - I can't want it
Anymore.

Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes and leap!

It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you can't pull me down!"

I love that. You can't pull me down!

Then Glinda says:
"Can't I make you understand?
You're having delusions of grandeur." 

(Also, publishing. Who among us doesn't have delusions of grandeur? I'm totally guilty as charged.)

To which Elphaba replies:
"I'm through accepting limits
'cause someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know!
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost!
I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
And you can't pull me down."

See? See how this applies to publishing? "I'm through accepting limits, 'cause someone says they're so." I absolutely love that line. And there are things in publishing that we don't understand until we try them. And things we're afraid of, and things we miss out on because of those fears.

Then Elphaba and Glinda have their little goodbye, and Elphaba sings:
"So if you care to find me
Look to the western sky!
As someone told me lately:
"Everyone deserves the chance to fly!"

And if I'm flying solo
At least I'm flying free
To those who'd ground me
Take a message back from me

Tell them how I am
Defying gravity
I'm flying high
Defying gravity
And soon I'll match them in reknown
And nobody in all of Oz
No Wizard that there is or was
Is ever gonna bring me down!"

Again, love. Because everybody DOES deserve the chance to fly, even if it's solo.

So today, I am getting on my broom and hoping it'll fly. I'm letting you know that I will be self-publishing a novel of mine on February 18, 2014. It's called ELEVATED, and it's about a girl who gets stuck in an industrial-sized elevator with her ex-boyfriend. It's a YA contemporary novel-in-verse.

That's right. Poetry. Every word.

And my good friend, Erin Summerill is making the cover with some exclusive photography she shot--and she is brilliant!

And in case you haven't heard of WICKED or Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, you really should watch it.

Don't you think everyone deserves a chance to fly?

How Do You Know If You're Good?

Okay, so many of you know I'm querying. And if you didn't, you do now! Of course, I'm getting rejected. It's part of the business. But as the rejections have been coming in, I'm always left with one question: How do you know if you're a good writer?

Is it because people tell you you are? Is it because you have an agent? A lot of sales? A deal?

I'm not sure, because I've read books that win big, major awards and I walk away from them because I don't like them. I've read books that are brilliant that no one else seems to be talking about. I've read books that sold for a lot of money and found them boring.

So how do you know if you're a good writer? What's the measurement?

I hate stuff like this, because I am a concrete person. I want a plan, a method, to know. Like, I can count my calories and know how much I've eaten. I can see the weight coming off the scale (BTW, I'm down 10 pounds now! Just started a couple of weeks ago). I know how to measure the success.

But with publishing, I don't.

I think that might be the most frustrating thing of all. I don't want to publish something bad, something poorly written or imagined, something poorly executed. But I don't know how to tell what's "good" and what's "bad."

So how do you know if you're a good writer?

Pushing Past the Subjectivity

Dude, this business is SO subjective. If you didn't know that yet, I hope I'm not revealing anything too heart-breaking. Because this publishing thing? It has the power to rip your heart out and trample on it.

And it's because of the subjectivity of the art. Writing is art. Books are art. I know intellectually that not everyone will "connect" with the art I produce. But emotionally, this is a much harder fact to internalize. Because, if the writing is good, and the plotting is smart, and the characters are well-developed (all compliments I've gotten), why exactly isn't this book for you?

Subjective tastes.

And that's hard to stomach, because I don't know how to revise to fix that. It's impossible. We can't revise our books for every reader who comes along, be them agents, editors, or fans. Maybe if you're writing a Choose Your Own Adventure (remember those?).

But seriously, the subjectivity of this industry is demoralizing. It makes you question your ability, and allows your mind to wander into Forbidden Territory: Doubt.

At the same time, this subjectivity is what's so great about publishing. There literally is a place for everyone, all stories, all types.

So each time I get a rejection that doesn't resonate with me, or with the reasons I wrote the story I did, or the vision I have for my story, I have to push past the subjectivity of it. Sometimes it's hard -- oh, so many times. But in the end, I have to create the art I love and believe in.

How do you push past the subjectivity?

NaNo Check-In!

Okay, I realize I've abandoned the blog for a little bit. It's because all my time is sucked up in teaching, mothering, and writing. And it's exciting! I haven't written a book since April, and for a few days there, I seriously thought I'd forgotten how.

But isn't that always how it goes? Sure, I've been spending a lot of time on writing-related things. Revisions. Social media. Editing. But the actual drafting a book doesn't happen as often. Not nearly enough.

So this NaNo-ing has been good for me. Very therapeutic. I'm a bit ahead of the curve right now, but I still need to be writing about 1400 words each day to finish on time.

The real problem came yesterday when I wrote during my lunch hour (gotta grab the minutes when you can, you know?). I think I may have written myself into a corner. I usually write again after my kids go to bed, but I just couldn't. I wasn't sure how to get out of what I'd gotten into.

So I'm stewing on that today, and I might have to do one of those fillers. You know, the "stuff happens here" highlighted in yellow so I can keep getting the words on the page.

Are you NaNo-ing? How is it going?

Suck Less

So I was trolling Facebook the other day. It's pretty standard for me these days. I can fly through my lists and like and comment in a few minutes. I like it. Someone had said something about their family motto (for which I instantly felt inferior), and my husband reminded me that we too, have a family motto.

Suck Less.

I decided this is a good motto for a lot of things, writing included. So as I prepare to k-i-l-l my concept for NaNo with lots of words, I'm going to try to make them suck less.

Of course, how one goes about doing that is another matter entirely. I've been reading a lot lately (lucky you, because as usual, I'll be talking about the books I love), and I think instead of giving you a recommendation on why you'll like a book from a reader's standpoint, I think I'll talk about how amazing the books are based on their writing -- and what I learned from it.

This might only last for one or two books (let's be honest here), but I've read some really good ones lately that have struck something in me. Something that sounds a lot like This sucks less. Make yours suck less.

So that's my official goal for NaNo. Do you have a writing goal? In general or for NaNo?

Facing Fears

Okay, so this is always hard, isn't it? Facing down that rabid dog or whatever. But though I am terrified of most dogs, rabid or not, that's not really what I'm talking about. Not a physical fear, but an emotional one.

That's not quite right either. More of a creative one.

See, my agent and I parted ways last month. She is a lovely person and a great agent. I have no hard feelings toward her and our split was amicable.

And here I am. Facing a wide-open world of publishing for the first time in years. Well, that's not really true either, because I already have books out. The only way to truly have a wide-open publishing world is to choose a pen name and start over.

I don't think I'll do that, and now I'm exploring all the options. See, I have five full manuscripts that are finished. Like, finished. Like, I could send them to editors and agents and not be embarrassed.

I'm querying a couple of them, actually. Querying is just as painful and demoralizing as I remember from 2009. Rejections are hard--especially when the feedback is at odds from agent to agent.

I have submitted a couple of my manuscripts to small and midsize publishers that take unsolicited submissions.

I have purchased Indie-publishing guides, and I've emailed with friends, and I've discussed options with my husband.

I really do have a ton of choices. The real problem is facing the fear of choosing one over the other. It seems that every publishing model has it's pros and cons.

And of course, I want it all. *wink* But mostly, it's the fear of trying something I've never tried before that's got a grip on me right now. I almost think it would be easier if someone just told me what to do! Anyone? Ha!

Have you faced a fear? How did you overcome it?

FRIENDS AND TRAITORS by C.J. Hill

Okay, so I'm here today with C.J. Hill to celebrate the release of her second Slayers book: FRIENDS AND TRAITORS! I've met the real C.J. in real life, and she is awesome!

So let's learn a bit about the book first.

About FRIENDS AND TRAITORS: In C.J. Hill's action-packed sequel to Slayers, the group of teens known as Slayers have been betrayed—but they won’t give up without a fight.

Tori’s got a problem. She thought she’d have one more summer to train as a dragon Slayer, but time has run out. When Tori hears the horrifying sound of dragon eggs hatching, she knows the Slayers are in trouble. In less than a year, the dragons will be fully grown and completely lethal. The Slayers are well-prepared, but their group is still not complete, and Tori is determined to track down Ryker—the mysterious missing Slayer.

What Tori doesn’t bargain for, however, is the surprising truth about her powers. She isn’t just a Slayer, she’s part Dragon Lord, too. How can Tori fight to save her friends when half of her is programmed to protect dragons? And with a possible traitor in their midst, the Slayers will be divided in more ways than they ever imagined.

Sounds amazing, right? It is! I've read it, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes good writing, fun characters, and the supernatural in their books.

And now we get to have some insight into C.J. and how she started writing and of course, whether she prefers bacon or chocolate!!

The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less: Slayers are teens with superpowers to fight dragons. Which is a good thing, because dragons are back and they don't want to be our friends.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Yes, although I also wanted to be a ballerina, an astronaut, and an ice-skater. Thank goodness I became a writer since my astro skating ballerina ambitions didn't pay off. (LOL! It's awesome to dream.)

What made you decide to go that “extra step” and seek publication?
I joined a writers group and a lot of the women were actively sending out their stuff. I realized that if I wanted to be published I couldn't just wait around for an editor to show up at my house and ask to see my stuff. I had to send it out into the cruel, harsh world. It's a hard step--but until publishers send out roving editors--a necessary one. (So true!)

Quick! You’ve been chosen to go on Survivor. What luxury item do you take?
A notebook and pen, of course. What else would I be doing in a remote spot besides writing my next novel? (Great question!)

Bacon or chocolate?
It's a hard choice as these are probably my two favorite foods, but I'm going with chocolate. It is my happy place. (Mine too, though it is hard to beat bacon...)

Find C.J. around the Internet:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Website
• Goodreads

Buy FRIENDS AND TRAITORS:

• Macmillan (read an excerpt here too!)
• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Indiebound

About C.J. Hill: CJ Hill is a pen name for a YA author who is best known for writing romantic comedies. (Slayers will be her 18th published book.) Her writing has shifted away from the romantic comedy genre, so her editor thought a pen name would be a good idea. (New books will include: dangerous dragons, time travel to dystopian worlds, and flesh-eating beetles.) Since the publisher refused to let her have the pseudonym : The Artist Formerly Referred to as Princess, she chose a name to honor her mother. CJ Hill was her mother's pen name, or at least it would have been if her mother had published. Her mother wrote a few children's books and a middle grade novel but was taken by cancer before she had fully learned the craft.

Most writers' first novels aren't publishable. CJ Junior's first novel wasn't, but somehow was published anyway. Now, even though it is out of print, it remains forever available on Amazon, where it taunts her with its badness. This was another good reason to use a pen name.

CJ Hill has five children, three of whom like her on any given day depending on who is in trouble. She has lived in Arizona for the last half of her life, but is still in desert denial and hopes that one day her garden will grow silver bells and cockle shells or maybe just tomatoes.

I hope you pick up SLAYERS if you haven't read it yet. And you can check out all the blog tour stops for FRIENDS AND TRAITORS over at Fire and Ice.

VISION by Lisa Amowitz Cover Reveal!

Okay, so I've known Lisa for years. She read Possession way back when it was a baby, and I'm thrilled for her success. Her next book is titled VISION, and today she's releasing the cover!

A bit about VISION: The light is darker than you think…

When seventeen-year-old Bobby Pendell begins to have blinding migraines followed by frightening hallucinations, he fears there’s something wrong with him. Then murder rocks his sleepy town and the visions that put him on trail of a killer—also make him the prime suspect.

A little bit about Lisa: Lisa Amowitz was born in Queens and raised in the wilds of Long Island, New York where she climbed trees, thought small creatures lived under rocks and studied ant hills. And drew. A lot. She is a professor of Graphic Design at her beloved Bronx Community College where she has been tormenting and cajoling students for nearly seventeen years. She started writing eight years ago because she wanted something to illustrate, but somehow, instead ended up writing YA. Probably because her mind is too dark and twisted for small children.


Find her on:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Her website
• Her blog
• Goodreads

And now onto the cover!

Creeptastic, right? I think it fits the description really well, and I can't wait to read it! VISION is coming from Spencer Hill Press on May 13, 2014.

What do you think of the cover?

SKY JUMPERS Giveaway!!

Okay, so I am lucky enough to live only a few minutes away from the Famous Peggy Eddleman, author of the amazing middle grade adventure, SKY JUMPERS. I got to go to her release party a week or so ago, and I bought two copies of the book.

One for my eight-year-old daughter--who was so excited!

And one for one of you!! It's a signed hardcover, and it's the perfect read for anyone who can, well, read!

Enter in the Rafflecopter below. Contest runs all week.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal for THE ACCIDENTAL MARRIAGE by Annette Haws!

Okay, so I'm bringing you a fun new cover today! I think this looks really fun and really cute. I've been enjoying my foray into the adult contemporary romance genre, but I do like it to be cleaner than not clean. So yeah. It sounds like THE ACCIDENTAL MARRIAGE will fit my tastes!

Are you ready to see the cover? Well, maybe we should talk about the book first.

About THE ACCIDENTAL MARRIAGE: Nina Rushforth was born with a silver spoon caught in her throat. She and her father have mapped out a future that includes a brilliant legal career, a marriage to an equally stellar attorney or Wall Street whiz kid, and eventually the production of three perfect children. A semester at St. Andrew's University in Scotland, was part of the plan, but falling in love with a handsome missionary was not.

Six months later, after Elliot returns from his mission and after a tumultuous courtship, Nina finds herself teaching at a junior high school, learning to keep house in a minuscule apartment, and living with a man who doesn't know any more about being married than she does. Intimacy, cooking, laundry, lesson plans, and a tug-of-war with a possessive mother-in-law prove to be more overwhelming than Nina can successfully manage. The newlyweds awaken to realize the head on the adjacent pillow belongs to a stranger.

This novel captures the heartbreak of young love caught in the turbulent social crosscurrents of the 70's, at a time when brave women struggled to find dignity and equality in the workplace, as well as peace at home.

THE ACCIDENTAL MARRIAGE is coming out on December 10. You can pre-order it here or here. You can add it to your Goodreads shelf here (which is one of the ways to enter the contest below!).

Okay, now are you ready to see the cover? Here it is!

See how fun? I love the car, the bright blue, the tagline. Everything!

Here's a little bit about Annette -- be sure to like her on Facebook and tweet about the giveaway too!

Annette Haws’s literary strengths are based upon her experiences in the classroom. She began her teaching career as a junior high teacher in Richmond, Utah and ended it teaching Sophomore English at Murray High School in Salt Lake City. However, her favorite assignment was a five year period at Logan High School teaching English, coaching debate and mock trial, and watching the antics of her own three children who were also students in the same school.

Her first novel, Waiting for the Light to Change, won Best of State in 2009, A Whitney Award for Best Fiction, and the Diamond Quill Award for Best Published Fiction in 2009 from the League of Utah Writers. In July of 2008, the Midwest Book Review selected it as a Top Pick for Community Library Fiction Collections.

Find Annette online:

• On Facebook
• At Goodreads
• On her website
• On her blog

And there's a TWO DAY giveaway! This contest for $25 cash ends tomorrow night! So tweet and like and spread the word about the cover of THE ACCIDENTAL MARRIAGE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AWAKENING by Christy Dorrity

So my friend and fellow Utahn is launching her book today! She's also the one who included Possession in her Book Blogger's Cookbook -- and I can't wait to read her book! Christy Dorrity's AWAKENING is out today, and the blog tour begins. So take a second to learn about the book, add it to your Goodreads, and buy a copy!

About the Book
. . . because some Celtic stories won’t be contained in myth.

A little magic has always run in sixteen-year-old McKayla McCleery's family—at least that’s what she’s been told. McKayla’s eccentric Aunt Avril travels the world as a psychic for the FBI, and her mother can make amazing delicacies out of the most basic of ingredients. But McKayla doesn't think for a second that the magic is real—it’s just good storytelling. Besides, McKayla doesn’t need magic. She recently moved to beautiful Star Valley, Wyoming, and already she has a best friend, a solo in her upcoming ballet recital—and the gorgeous guy in her physics class keeps looking her way.

When an unexpected fascination with Irish dance leads McKayla to seek instruction from the mute, crippled janitor at her high school, she learns that her family is not the only one with unexplained abilities.

After Aunt Avril comes to Star Valley in pursuit of a supernatural killer, people begin disappearing, and the lives of those McKayla holds most dear are threatened.

When the janitor reveals that an ancient curse, known as a geis, has awakened deadly powers that defy explanation, McKayla is forced to come to terms with what is real and what is fantasy.

A thrilling debut novel based in Celtic mythology, Awakening is a gripping young adult fantasy rife with magic, romance, and mystery.

Praise for Awakening

"AWAKENING is a wonder and a delight. Christy Dorrity is a talent to watch."
~David Farland, New York Times bestselling author of Nightingale

"I thoroughly enjoyed AWAKENING, a captivating and unique debut novel that creatively integrates Irish dance."
~ CHRIS NAISH, Riverdance member and Creative Director of Fusion Fighters Irish dancers.

About the Author


Christy Dorrity lives in the mountains with her husband, five children, and a cocker spaniel. She grew up on a trout ranch in Star Valley, Wyoming, and is the author of The Geis series for young adults, and The Book Blogger’s Cookbooks. Christy is a champion Irish dancer and when she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably trying out a new recipe in the kitchen.

Purchase Awakening by Christy Dorrity:

Inspiration from... Katy Perry?

Dude, yes. If you have not listened to some teen pop rock in the last year or so, start with Katy Perry. I don't like all her songs, but I like a good few of them.

In particular, Firework and Roar. Because you know how this publishing business is like a meat grinder? No? Well, it is. Pretend you're this fabulous cut of meat. Kobe beef or something. You go in, expecting everything to be awesome, you'll be cooked to a perfect medium-rare, and you'll be juicy, and have this butter-herb sauce, and everyone will love you.

And then... You get ground up and formed into who-knows-what-but-it-ain't-a-meatball, and drowned with some sick brown gravy from a packet, and then bypassed on the buffet line by even the most forgiving of diners.

Yeah. Publishing can be like that. But Katy Perry has your solution. You could say that the 213 times I've listened to Roar in the past couple of weeks makes it my theme song. Okay, fine. It's totally my theme song.

Watch it. Listen to it. Love it.



(I'll admit the jungle theme is a little strange... Just go with it.)

My favorite lyrics:
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar

Sometimes you just need to roar.

I also love Firework. Not necessarily the bra she wears... Can't believe I just used the word bra on my blog.

Anyway, I think sometimes I can relate to the lyrics of this song rather well. Let's examine.

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?

Do you ever feel already buried deep six feet under?
Scream but no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
'Cause there's a spark in you?

(Uh, yes. To all of the above.)

And later:
You don't have to feel like a wasted space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe you reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow
And when it's time you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July

So yeah. I think I'm going to do that. Ignite the light and let it shine. Own the night. Roar.

ROAR.

Judging a Book by its Cover (and Title)

Okay, so I read a lot of books. Usually it's something one of my friends wrote, or a recommendation from a friend, or something that's getting a lot of buzz. But recently, I've decided to try reading something I've never heard of before.

Shocking, I know.

Buy here

So I go to the Kindle (which is how I read now. I know, you're disappointed), and I simply start clicking around. I find this book called FLAT-OUT LOVE by Jessica Park. I read it--and I really like it. Like, like it a lot.

It's not exactly YA, but it reads very much like a YA. I suppose this is called New Adult (Julie, the MC is a freshman in college), a genre I'll admit I've been skeptical about and honestly, a little scared of.

See, I don't want the entire plot to be the romance. Don't get me wrong. Romance is essential in the books I love, but I've read so much that I'm getting weary of the busy/scorned/betrayed/world-weary woman falling for the sexy/hot/tall/dark/handsome/motorcycle-riding guy. That said, I still read a lot of those and enjoy them. I know, I'm a mixed bag.

Anyway, I've derailed here. I've read several NA novels, and I've found they're not really my thing. I've found them to be a bit romance-heavy, and sometimes more sexy than I want to read.

But FLAT-OUT LOVE wasn't either of those. There is romance--and I really enjoyed and was rooting for it. But there's more. There are other--more important--plot lines going on. Real relationships and real problems being explored. Some romance, but not the immediate kind of romance, but the kind of relationship that takes months to build.

That's why I loved the book. So I finish, and I want to read more books like that. Well, the Kindle (or Amazon) will tell you what other books people are buying when they buy FLAT-OUT LOVE.

And I started judging. That cover looks too romance-heavy.
That cover looks too sexy.
What is that on the cover?
I can't read that title. (Remember, I'm on the Kindle. It's small.)
I can't pronounce that character's name.

I'd only click on the covers that looked like I might get something that had substance and sported a title I could read easily. Then I'd read the book description. I'll admit that none of them piqued my interest for one reason or another, and I'm still looking for my next read that's like FLAT-OUT LOVE.

But I realized that book covers and titles are really important to me, and I think, all readers. It's our first judgement of a book. It might be that we'd really enjoy what's behind the cover, but we'll never see it if that first impression isn't done well.

Do you find yourself judging books this way? And do you have any recommendations for what I can read if I loved FLAT-OUT LOVE? I'd love to hear them!!

On Overload

Okay, so at the risk of becoming the world's biggest hypocrit ever, I've sort of decided to move away from the blogosphere. I feel like a complete hack, having taught many (MANY) "how to blog" classes at conferences and conventions.

I love blogging.

Or at least I used to.

Over the past year, I've fallen more and more out of love with it. I find it so much easier to send a tweet, or update my Facebook status, and I can easily read through my lists and groups to find out what's going on with the people I care about.

I know. That makes me like, the worst blogger ever. I just can't keep up anymore (haven't been able to for a long time), and I've been wondering if blogging is a platform that I'm all overloaded on.

And I think maybe it is.

I've been hesitating from moving away from it -- though, let's face it, I've been emotionally detached for a while now -- because I used to love it so much.

But I also used to love cotton candy. Now I just find it sticky, and messy, and overpriced. I didn't worry about abandoning that sweet for something else I liked. I don't know why this move has taken so long or feels so... I don't know. Painful? Yeah, probably painful.

I will still be here, periodically, as I have things to say and contribute. But really, I'm spending more time on twitter and Facebook. Or writing -- definitely writing.

Have you ever gone through this? Leaving behind something amazing and good, hopefully in the pursuit of something better?

Winning Streak or Losing Streak

Okay, so I've been gone for a while! I swear I didn't mean to do that. But I was crazy-busy with planning and executing WriteOnCon (only the most amazing thing ever!) and then I moved right into work again. School starts TODAY, and I've been swamped with teacherly things, and motherly things, and well, when you stop blogging for a while, you sort of forget it's there... Tell me I'm not the only one who does that!

Anyway, I know I give you guys my professional development lectures every year. I just find them so inspirational, and I find that they almost always relate to how I'm feeling as a writer.

So we focus a lot on data at my school, because we're a Title I school and a lot of our funding comes from such things. One of our speakers was talking about winning streaks and losing streaks. He said something that resonated with me. He said that it only takes two (TWO) events to get on a streak, either winning or losing. Two successes to feel confident. To self-analyze how we're doing, and what we could be doing better. Two successes to feel like we know what we're doing. (He, of course, was talking about creating successes for kids, and I, of course, agreed and then applied it to writing/publishing.) Two successes to think, "Hey, I might be good at this."

Hopefully, you've been on a winning streak before. Maybe even in publishing.

Then he said that it only takes two disappointments or failures to be on a losing streak. Two failed tests. Two instances where a student couldn't perform what they were asked to. And this is the dangerous spiral. When you're on a losing streak, you want to give up. You criticize yourself mercilessly. You have no confidence and no motivation to keep trying. Not only do we start to think, "I can't do this," we continue that thought to "I can't do this, because I'm not good at it."

Oh, how I've felt this in writing. Two rejections in a row can get you there. Maybe my book is terrible. Maybe I'm not a good writer.

Two bad reviews. My book is lame. I can't plot. I should just give up.

The trick is to take the "failures" and make them into successes. Or ignore them. Or make it so you don't even know about them.

Or eat a lot of ice cream and have a writer's group to vent to. Ha!

No matter what, I felt that what our trainer was saying was true. I've felt it as I've pursued a writing career, and I know my students feel it as they try to learn math, science, and English. My goal is make sure EVERY interaction they have is a success, and I'm going to try to work through the losing streak in writing, anticipating a success just around this next corner...

Where are you right now? Winning streak or losing streak?