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Zippity-do-dah, zippity-ay. My, oh my, what a wonderful day!

I’ll be honest – I don’t actually know what movie that song is from, but I’ve known the song since I was a kid. All I really know about it is how it makes me feel – it’s a feel-good, happy-go-lucky song. It’s a guaranteed pick-me-up when life get’s rough.

As a writer, life is going to get rough.It’s a good idea to prepare for those rough times. Have your feel-good, happy-go-lucky event at the ready.

 

Z is for Zippity-do-dah – your personal pick-me-up

I remember the moment that it hit me – the realization that getting a book published takes so much more than just writing a book and sending it to an editor. I had to learn about characterization, plotting, goals-motivation-conflict, pacing, showing, telling, dialogue, marketing, networking, agents, editors, editing boards, on and on and on. Talk about being overwhelmed.

It didn’t take long to realize that I knew nothing about getting a book published. Heck, I didn’t even know the right way to write one. I already had my hands full with work and my family – where was I going to fit in the extra time to read craft books, dissect novels, and eventually try writing my own? Reality quickly beat the life out of my dreams.

The first thing I did was eat some chocolate. Then a pizza. Then, as I usually do when I’m depressed, I decided to escape. My preferred method of escaping – fiction. It doesn’t matter if it’s a movie or a novel, just as long as there’s a happy ending (and hopefully some romance). I don’t remember what I read or watched, but I remember what it did to me – it renewed my desire to write a novel.

When I immerse myself in good fiction, it flips the depression switch. It sparks my creative fire. It reminds me of how much I love fiction, and why I started this journey in the first place.

There are going to be more rough days ahead. Later this year I’ll start querying agents and editors – I expect to get rejections. When that happens, however, I won’t let it get me down because I know what my feel-good, pick-me-ups are. Don’t get stuck in a rut. Know how to get yourself out so you can keep going on your own journey.

QUESTION: What’s your feel-good, pick-me-up? (And where is that song from?)