When I was a kid I remember sitting in a Chinese resturant in Roswell, New Mexico, and squeezing my eyes shut and wishing on a fortune cookie. I opened it, and it gave me the fortune I always wanted. "May you live in interesting times."
I knew from my very beginning that I was different. There is some comfort in that. You aren't boring but that road less traveled can be scary, so travel light. I suggest if you are different from the norm that you pack light for the journey. You'll need only a few things to make it down that narrow path: faith in something greater than yourself, a love for your fellow man in all its amazing and flawed forms, and a sense of humor. That's about it. Carry anything else and it really is just excess baggage -- I should know. I keep meaning to drop the anxiety, but I keep thinking I need it just in case.
You have to have a spiritual life to embrace the full human experience, and as a writer you will need to have faith in yourself and your vision. You need a great love for people or you will never be able to create lovable characters and beautifully flawed villians; and as a writer you need all the friends you can get. You need a sense of humor or you might just take yourself and all your high and might words too serieously and then have your ego dashed upon the jagged rocks of rejection.
I got my first rejection this week from a real AAR agent. Wow! That was cool, kind of expected it since she didn't do fantasy, so it is time to get up off my duff and head on down the road and see what is around the bend. See you on the road, traveler. Travel light.
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