Reading one of my fellow bloggers this morning, I felt that rush that keeps some of us going. Not long ago, writing was bliss. I set goals for myself and when I drafted a Nanowrimo book in one month, or even a chapter in one weekend, I was content. Exposure to the elements has changed me a bit.

Is it snowing in Maryland? Were you stranded by a flood in Minnesota? No, I’m talking about all those people who ask me if I’ve had a book published. I’m sure that you all know who I’m talking about. They’re those people who don’t care if you’ve had stories published or if you’ve improved so much that revising that unpublished book of yours makes sense. There was even a lady once at a symphony concert who slyly asked me if I wanted to write the Great American Novel.  

I think it was Joyce Carol Oates who wrote about writing as an act of faith.  Writing a book is a great accomplishment. Yet the act of faith is that someone will find you original and craft-wise enough to publish your book. The problem with our ego is not about the actual writing. I think it’s about identifying too closely with a book which as good as it may be, may never actually strike a chord with an agent or a publisher. They reject the book, they reject us. Forget these guys and dream a little.

The rush I talked about at the beginning of this post is when I dream that it’s finally happened, someone likes one of my books enough to publish it. Will I use a pen name? Maybe. How about you? Read the post, and see what she says about pen names.  http://www.allypeltier.com/blog/2011/10/what%e2%80%99s-in-a-pen-name-six-good-reasons-to-use-one/