One if by land, two if by sea! The midnight ride of Paul Revere. “Give me liberty or give me death”. Old glory. You have a heritage of living free or die trying. For Americans, the soil beneath your feet was bought and paid for by the blood of your forefathers who fought and died for freedom.
You have the inaliable right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That right is guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. So you want to be a writer? That’s illegal in some parts of the world, even in 2012. But not here. You can write to your heart’s content. You an peddle your story and publishers are free to put it out in print.
In know writers sometimes get focused on pitching, getting contracts, dealing with the ego crushing rejection and that dreaded negative critique. All of those things—the good, the bad and the ugly—are gifts of living in a nation that has been liberated.
Yes, I can post on Facebook or Twitter that I LOVE your new release. I can also give you a one star review because your thriller moved too fast. Good or bad, it’s all good. Trust me on this one.
I spent six years on the mission field in a third world country. I was not allowed to write or put anything in print that even remotely resembled promoting my beliefs. In America, someone is totally free to have their beliefs tattooed on their body in a prominent place.
My dear writer friend, YOU ARE FREE! Have you embraced your freedom? When You get blank screen syndrome, are you grateful you can legally sit down at a computer? When the agent decides not to represent you, are you glad you can query another one? When that critic says you write like a second grader, do you resist your right to write a seething response?
Freedom. To write. To pursue happiness. To chase your dream and follow your heart, wherever that may lead. It’s priceless. And it belongs to you. There is just one thing required of you. You must accept it.
Jail workers can open every cell door in the entire prison, but unless the inmates accept their freedom and walk out, they will remain behind bars. Unless you accept your freedom and walk it out, you will imprison your dream of being an author.
Receive it. Embrace it and use it to propel you forward. Go forth and prosper. Let Freedom Ring!
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Reba J. Hoffman is a natural encourager and Member Care Coach at My Book Therapy. She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Counseling and is the founder of Magellan Life Coaching (www.magellanlifecoaching.com). She is the author of Dare to Dream, a Writer’s Journal published by My Book Therapy. She also publishes a motivational and encouraging blog, FindingTrue North. Contact Reba at reba@magellanlifecoaching.com.