It is OK to fall … it is the only way to learn to pick yourself back up!

Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up.

Bruce Wayne’s father gave him that advice, which Alfred then reiterated. We can learn a lot from our fantasy icons. Those heroes teach us, guide us, help us to envision ourselves as the people we wish ourselves to be. I have endeavored to teach my daughter and son this very lesson every time they have fallen, as I know D.W. has done the same with his son.

I bring this up today because as stewards of the fantasy landscape for the generations to come, we have a responsibility to not only entertain, but to inspire. D.W. and I take our positions as authors very seriously. We love the craft of storytelling. We want to nurture it and upkeep it for future generations. To that end, I wanted to let all the authors out there who stare the daunting task of bringing their creations to life know that, though there may be many times along your path where you will stumble and fall, it is imperative that you pick yourselves back up.

D.W. and I are very fortunate to be on the latest leg of our journey together, bringing the third book in the Necromancers’ Pride Saga, Storm of Shadows, to life. We are writing now, creating and crafting a story that will be worthy of your, our amazing readers, time and energy. You have invested your commitment to our characters and world. We are working diligently to earn that commitment by creating content that is deserving of your investment. To say that we know everything there is about publishing a series of books would be naive and foolish in the utmost. That being said, we have learned a great deal, such as never letting setbacks and letdowns keep us down. The creative process is far from easy, but it is eternally rewarding and worth the journey.

To those reading this who have the creative spark within you, I say attack your artistic endeavor with all the passion you can muster. D.W. and I have fallen many times. Story arches didn’t work. Characters ran into dead ends. Plot points did not manifest into what we had envisioned. Marketing plans hit roadblocks. Artwork did not look right. Formatting was off. I could go on and on. I would not go so far as to say that for every two steps forward there was a step back, but the backward steps felt, at the time, far larger than the forward strides.

What did we do when we fell? We picked ourselves back up. Each time we did, we were better for it. How did we do it? We motivated each other. We reminded each other that no achievement worth having is easily gained. He would reassure me when I felt I could not find the creative spark. I would bolster him when he felt like he was butting into a dead end. We stayed positive and constantly reminded ourselves of why we were and are doing this … because we LOVE IT! Because not doing it is NOT AN OPTION. Sometimes, a small word of kindness is the strongest word you can hear.  Never let the setbacks stop you. The world will be a better place, and your place in it better still, for having the fortitude to rise again.

How do you pick yourself up when you fall?

This is your community. We want to hear from you.