Hollow Smiles

Hollow smiles.  Nervous, hollow smiles.

"Oh, that's nice dear.  So, when are you going to get a job?"

She puts in seventy hours each week...easy.  Time spent thinking, bending and molding words until they reach the pitch of perfection.  Time spent reading, conversing and networking.  Time spent on contests, querying and pitching.  Time spent on revising, revising and revising.  Time spent on obtaining an agent.  Time spent on trying to succeed.

Hollow smiles come from the well intentioned.  They think it's nice that she has a hobby.  It's nice to be dedicated, though they're not really sure to what.  It's nice to keep busy since she got laid off from her job.

The hollow smiles hurt her.  Why can't they understand she asks.  And then she wonders, am I doing the right thing?  Can I really make a living writing?  Should I just get a job like everyone wants me to do?  Maybe my stuff is not good enough.

He says no.  No, with conviction.  He believes in her.  After a round of hollow smiles, he comforts her.  He tells her she has what it takes.  He tells her that her stories are strong, her dialog flows and her descriptive language is refreshingly :-) adverb-free.  He has never doubted.  Not once.  He sees the two of them one day sitting on the porch of their cabin in Maine.  He sees her smile.  He sees peace in her heart.

Not all radiate hollow smiles.  Some effuse spirit-filled smiles of belief.  He hopes that those who matter most to her will one day be filled with the spirit of belief.  He hopes it comes before she breaks out, because it would mean that much more to her.  Until then he will hold her hand, hold her heart and hold open that cabin door.

Comments

[Debra Estep]

Remind her that SHE alone is writing her life story,
this is not a collaboration.....

"Down with the naysayers" I say. :)

AND... an OLD family favorite ~

Don't Quit
by Leo Piggoti
(1931)

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill
When the funds are low and the debts are high.
And when you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit -
Rest if you must, but don't quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns.
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
When he might have captured the victor's cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down.
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

[Rosemary]

I have that poem "Don't Quit" taped to my desk and I look at it often.

I couldn't do what I do without the support of a truly GREAT man. The man who gives me quiet encouragement when I begin to doubt myself. The man who cheers me on. The man who supports me as I go after my dream.

I belong to a local writers group here in Tampa and I've heard quite a few women mention that their husbands have given them a "time limit" on writing their books.

What I've learned on this journey I've begun, is that Time is the one thing you must have, if you want to succeed as a writer. So many authors give up and let their work (created by blood, sweat and yes, tears) languish away because others didn't understand or support their sacrifices.

That's where I stand out from the crowd, because I have a man who believes. And I'm determined to succeed to prove him right for believing in me.