Every writer knows that failure is part of the game.
It’s just the part that nobody likes.

But failure and yes, even rejection, are essential for writers because they force us to take a careful look at our work...and then try to improve it.

Once, a dear friend told me, “If you aren’t failing, then you aren’t challenging yourself enough.” As artists, we should be ambitious. If we always write everything perfectly the first time, we simply aren’t growing.

If you’re struggling with a work in progress or have recently faced a rejection—good! It means that you’re working; it means that you’re improving. The struggle is the crucible that forges you as an artist.

The only people who never struggle are the ones who aren’t working.

We’re nearing the end of the calendar year, and as I look back over the past twelve months, I’m going to try to hold a sense of gratitude for the things that did not go as smoothly as I had hoped. These are the things that show us what really matter...and that lead us to the deeper story.

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