We’ve all heard the story.
So and so was laughed at and discouraged from following their dreams, but they succeeded and now they’ve proven their naysayers wrong!
Neener, neener, look at me now.
We know this story.
This is not my story.
Literally NO ONE has discouraged me from trying to write and publish a novel, and this is a type of privilege that I think gets over looked in creative fields.
No one in my family discouraged me. In fact, many members actively encouraged me, asked for updates, read early drafts.
The same for my friends. They wanted to read what I had and cheered me on. They wanted inclusion in my stories, a chance to be a cool character doing cooler things.
My teachers and professors? Many of the ones who weren’t interested still turned a blind eye to my scribblings in class, and the writing ones were full of hope and encouragement.
I can’t think of ANYONE, even exes after a bad break up (forever ago!), who discouraged me from reaching for this dream.
I know this is unimaginable to most folks. Nearly everybody has someone who is weighing them down or putting them down or trivializing their efforts.
I don’t.
If I succeed at this effort, it won’t be ‘despite my naysayers’. It will be because I had the best environments to grow in.
Ya’ll know who you are. Thank you.
Gentle hugs and encouragement.