Depression 411

I figure I'm about an expert in this. Depression, bitterness, chucking all things pertinent at the farthest wall and hoping they hit with a bang - after all, my hopes and dreams have just crashed and burned.

Today, in my Fiction Writing class, we had a guest speaker - a published author - come and speak to us. My desire is to be published. Like, no lie, I want to go into a bookstore and see my book on the "Featured Author" table. I wanna do book signings and get movie deals and become a household name. But, for now, I'd settle for just getting published. I know I don't have the next Animorphs or Harry Potter. I'm not deluded. I think my book is good, I think it has potential. But the problem is that I don't know if it has ENOUGH.

We were told today that 1 in 10,000 people get published. That's a LOT of people. Who am I to think that I can be that one? Who am I to think I am good enough? But then I got to thinking.

Let's figure that half of those 10,000 are terrible writers. This is assuming that perhaps I am slightly above average.

That leaves 5,000. Out of that five grand, let's assume that half are average writers.

That leaves 2,500. Out of that twenty-five hundred, let's assume that half will give up before finishing a manuscript.

That leaves 1,250. Out of that twelve hundred and fifty, let's assume that half will give up after the first rejection. I'm being optimistic here.

That leaves 625 who will persevere.

Now the odds are 1 out of 625 that I could get published. Why?

Because I will not give up. My novel is above average. I've completed the manuscript and am well into the sequel. I've been rejected - I'm still going.

I will be that one. I will be the one who perseveres. I will be the one who gets to see her dream come through.

How about you?