IWSG: The Green Eyed Monster

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who stopped by for the GUTGAA meet and greet! I am still making my way through everyone's posts. It's been great meeting new writers!

Now for this month's Insecure Writer's Support Group. I want to talk a bit about jealousy. I've seen a lot of other posts out there on the subject and, well, here's mine. :)

I've had a lot of writer buddies get agents, or publishing contracts in the last month. And I can honestly say I have not been bitten by the green-eyed monster! I am so completely happy for these people! And I think there are three reasons why I have (so far) been safe from the green-eyed monster.

First, these are all amazingly talented writers. Most of them are blogging friends, and one is an actual real life, in person friend I met at a writer's conference almost three years ago. They are all writers whom I admire, and from whom I have learned a lot!

The second reason is that seeing their success gives me hope. It really does happen! For real people! Real people who work hard, learn all they can and keep on trying. It makes me feel like somewhere down the road, if I work hard and don't give up, it can happen for me, too.

The third reason is that I can see my progress. As I said, one of these newly agented writers is someone I met at a conference three years ago. At that time I knew almost nothing. I had written and queried a few picture books, (they weren't good) and I had an idea for a YA zombie story, but didn't think I had it in me to write something like that.

The woman I met was in the process of querying a YA contemporary romance. (She let me read the beginning of it after the conference and it was awesome! I loved her sense of humor!) She had, at that time, gotten some partial and full requests, but that was it. I remember being impressed. Surely she would be picked up soon.

She ended up trunking that novel and writing another. Now, three years later, she has an agent! I literally yelled, "Yay!" when I found out. :)

Okay, I said something about seeing my progress. See, three years later, I have learned so much more about writing! I have written two middle grade novels and one YA (zombie) novella, (turns out I could do it!) And now I have had several requests for partials and fulls. (Some have turned into nos and some are still out there.)

It's a process. A long process for many people. I'm okay with that. If I was still getting form rejections, not making any progress, I'd probably be ready to give up by now. But I'm doing what I can to learn, improve, and keep moving forward.

And that's why I am able to be 100% thrilled for those who I see doing well. I know they worked hard to get there, and they deserve it! And I have hope that in the years ahead, I will be able to join them. :)