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Turning Setbacks into Steppingstones
Embracing failure as a catalyst for growth
The date was November 2, 2016. An email came into my inbox. Excitement and nerves fought each other in my stomach like boxing rivals in the ring preparing for the fight of their lives. It was a moment years in the making, and I was on the precipice of one of the most formative changes in my life. My agent officially pitched my novel to editors.
It was out on sub (submission).
The Spark
I’ve wanted to be a published author since I was ten. I had just finished reading Little Women. I had resisted cracking open the literary classic, but my mom, knowing me better than I knew myself, said she’d pay me $10 to read it. Always looking to pad my wallet, I took her up on it. And everything changed.
I lost myself in the world of the March sisters. Not only did it deepen my love of reading, but it also inspired me to want to share my own stories. Imaginary friends and scenarios played through my head all day, and I decided to jot some down on paper. If Louisa May Alcott could share simple life stories, why couldn’t I? I spent years filling notebooks with whatever characters and scenes played on a loop through my head.
