Sometimes bad thoughts and memories roll around in my head and get stuck there. I tell myself, “Stop thinking about that!” But it’s hard.
I’m going to start a “Feel Good” file so I can counteract the bad stuff. This will be like my “Success File” which is work-related where I keep every review, mug award card, note or anything else I receive that is positive reinforcement.
Good things do happen. We just tend to easily forget them for some reason.
I scanned back through years of my blog posts the other day and I found this entry from November 2011:
I also got probably the best rejection letter I’ve ever received from an editor which I’m sharing in part, although I won’t mention the name of the editor or the publishing house:
I finished Scattered Moments and very much enjoyed the story. It’s compelling, very well written, as all your stories are, but…There is absolutely nothing wrong with the writing or the characters or the storyline, Barb, especially since I was engrossed enough to finish it in one sitting…it seems…not the right publisher for this story.
I sincerely hope you can find a home for Scattered Moments. This story just reinforces for me what an amazing writing talent you have.
Basically, this particular house doesn’t publish this kind of book, but I found a home for the story. Barbara Meyers, LLC.
This is good because Scattered Moments is a book I constantly question myself about. It wasn’t professionally edited which I (now) consider a mistake. I ask myself if I should have waited to publish it myself. Should I have proofread it one more time?
But at booksignings, it’s the book that gets picked up and purchased most often. Readers have positive things to say about it. Maybe a nice fat “Feel Good” file will make me stop second-guessing myself.
#writing #success
