Persevere

Musing…

Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody. 

―Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Charise’s Turn:

Notice the word “severe” in “persevere”? That’s a nod to the intensity and strictness required by the action. Often, this means picking up again after a setback, forging ahead despite disappointments. As a writer, I know well the feeling of rejection by a publisher. What I’ve learned is to go ahead and submit the same work somewhere else. Don’t believe one person’s opinion; don’t give up on your art! 

I was moved by the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford to write a poem in empathy with her experience of sexual assault. I submitted that poem to two publications that focus on topical pieces. Both submissions were rejected. After a few days, I gave it one more effort, mostly because the news kept echoing this particular poem. My third effort proved successful, and I’m grateful to Tuck Magazine for publishing “Lost” (http://tuckmagazine.com/2018/10/05/poetry-1747/ ).

“You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you're working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success - but only if you persist.” 
―Isaac Asimov

Get Fired Up:

What work do you have lying around that begs to be shared? Are you mulling over ideas that want creative expression? Have you stopped short of the most you can do in support of your creativity?

Start again––get going––persevere.
Please don’t cheat yourself of the next opportunity.

www.charisehoge.com