denise Leora madre

Ten years ago on April 30 th , I was in a different place. Literally. I awoke alone in the twin bed from my teen years, the most important of days peeking over the horizon. After leaving Howard University during junior year on God’s bizarre orders, I’d moved into Mommy’s Chestnut Hill apartment. Those two years forged a unique bond and synergy we still share, but on this morning, I was preparing to put on my big girl panties and get my own place. At age 26, it was time.

My dear friend/Beta/sister-in-another-country/sanity-preserver/brilliant writer  Jess Molly Brown  just shared a poignant post about the power and necessity of embracing rejection. As one intimately acquainted with the story she shares, this particular post is especially dear to me. Plus, there are adorable animal gifs. Enjoy and be encouraged! ______________________________________________________________ To get a novel published, you have to develop a thick skin, something I started to do five years ago when I began posting fan fiction for public consumption. As great as most readers are, there are those who like to flame writers. You have to learn not to let it get you down. In short, you have to be professional in face of personal attacks.

Confession: I have not blogged in two and a half weeks. (Which, if you're a regular reader of my blog, isn't a confession at all.) I could cite many reasons for my absence—busyness, indecision, a two-day stint in the hospital—but in truth, only one matters. I wasn’t supposed to. A Writer's To-Do List Image Courtesy of kanate / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Now before I launch into this explanation, let me say I know how it works. I know blogging is one of the major activities distinguishing writers from everyone else on social media, that it is key in establishing a personal, professional brand and an online presence. It improves your writing by demanding frequency and variety and teaches discipline as nothing else quite does. Yet I have not done so in the last 18 days, drafted only one possible entry two weeks ago and that one right poorly. So why am I yet encouraged, excited, and proud of my inactivity? Because in not blogging I was doing what I w