Part of me was going to procrastinate and write this tomorrow but there is a voice telling me I need to type this while the feelings are still raw. Defeat and setbacks suck. They hit you in the gut and knock the air right out of you or they make you go into deep thought.
Well I am in deep thought, kind of bummed but I know success doesn’t happen in a day, you have to pay your dues.
I entered my first book “The Princess of Darkness” into a short story cinema contest and it didn’t place. I did get some feedback, overall my book was rated as “average”. Sigh, fair enough. It could have been worse right? I sat and thought about my book remembering how much work I put into it as the feeling of deflation set upon me.
On one hand, I understand reality matters. Its rare creative artists hit a home run on their first try but my hopes were to at least place. Well that didn’t happen. This week has been crappy as fuck at my day job. The irony is the reason why I write (besides the fact that I enjoy it) is so I can leave my day job behind. I am not happy there and haven’t been for years. And it’s the reason I will continue to work hard and get better at my craft. I could sulk in a corner and scream “woe is me” but I am not built to succumb to defeat. Hell, I’ve already released “The Princess of Darkness Book 2”. Some people advise against self-publishing, so glad I didn’t listen to them. It was and continues to be worth it.
Never give up on your dreams even when the curtain drops. Exit stage left, go home, gather your wits and hop back on the damn roller coaster. Your dreams are worth it.
To paraphrase Eddie Murphy’s character in the movie “Dolemite”; I want the world to know who I am. I have what it takes to be a writer and I won’t let this sting of defeat stop me from reaching my goal.

Till next time readers

Dawn (DemeJo)