December 18, 2017: I’ve said this already a couple of times, but I continue to be amazed at how many closet writers have come forth since my book was published. To them, I always take a moment and encourage them to never give up. I’m reminded of what my critique partner repeated over and over: a winner is a loser who tried one more time. To anyone reading this who enjoys writing, I repeat what I know works: write and revise (and repeat), work with a good critique partner, market research, and submit, submit, submit. Be ready for the rejections--if you are afraid of rejections, there are many blogs out there that deal with this. Go read as many as you need. Pretty soon, you’ll understand why rejection is important to a writer; but equally important is to read what IS selling. If you write children’s books, read as many as you possibly can. If adult is your preferred genre, read all the best-sellers and then some. A good writer is a good reader--not to plagiarize, but to understand what the public is buying; also, you glean an understanding of what publishers want. This would be a great time to repeat last week’s advice to writers: plan, perseverance, and patience! My 3 “p’s” to publishing.

As Christmas approaches, it’s easy to get caught up in shopping and events; but the real reason for the season needs to stay front and center. I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and the gift of the Savior’s birth.