Craig Martelle
This career is a lesson in finding joy.
How many write because they aren’t physically capable of other endeavors? It’s the best of all worlds. You get to make money doing what you dream. It’s an exceptional life, but not everyone makes it to the top. It’s a mountain, and the path narrows as you climb higher.
Seeing people you started with go farther faster can be a mood killer. Seeing people who are new launch into the stratosphere from the start can make you question everything you’re doing. Stop watching them except to learn what they’ve done right.
Your joy has nothing to do with them. You decide how you invest your time in the climb up the mountain of this fantastic career opportunity. Only you decide what you write. Only you can get better at writing and marketing. You are the only one in control of your joy.
I’ve known people with chronic pain and unimaginable trauma. They’ve been some of the nicest people I know. The creases around their young eyes tell the story of wincing with every effort. And yet they decide to make others happy by being kind.
As an author, you have chosen to share your thoughts with the world. Make your readers enjoy themselves. Make yourself smile. Someday, you could be someone’s favorite author. That should make you happy. You may not be in control of a lot, but you can find joy in the little things. Finishing a book is such an occasion, even if that book is only a short story.
Celebrate your milestones, even if they’re only inch-stones. Find joy in a career that doesn’t take off instantly but is hard earned. If it were easy, anyone would do it. And not just anyone does it.
Maybe you’re a glutton for punishment. Or maybe you’re just committed, self-motivated, and diligent. You see what’s possible: a career where you call the shots and get rewarded for calling the right shots.
It took me thirteen novels before I broke even. Nothing worth having is gotten easily. Take joy in your confidence that you will make it.
Peace, fellow humans.
Craig Martelle
