Guest Post: Perseverance

globeI first want to thank Lydia Schoch for allowing me unleash the plague of my thoughts upon the airwaves of this blog. You should all be afraid. Today I want to talk about chasing your dreams and really going after what you want. This can be one of the most soul crushing things you can ever do. It can in time be one of the most rewarding as well.

When I first started my journey I received many of the typical reactions that you get when you chase after something that seems impossible. Many people offered words of support with the caveat that many people fail at doing the same thing. Some said outright that I would never succeed. There was not a single offer of help. It is like all of my friends and family expected me to fail. At least I would get a participation ribbon to say I tried.

When I did need help it came from strangers. The wonderful writers who had been through this torment before. Whenever I had a question about writing or story structure or outlining, it was their words that helped to inspire and improve upon what I was doing. These magical pixie dust spewing angels knew what I was going through. They were the most supportive while my friends and family would downplay the torment that is writing a work of fiction.

Nothing in life comes easy. There are always bumps in the road, but don’t let those become unpassable moats of despair filled with crocodiles that have rockets strapped to their backs. You must persevere. This is why I have written many blog posts about staying positive and being happy. It is difficult to maintain a positive attitude when it seems like everything is falling apart in front of your eyes. My first draft was a disaster. Quite possibly the worst thing I have ever written {never mind the My Little Pony superhero mashup I wrote… wait, how did YOU know about it???). I could have given up right then.

Instead I resolved to work harder. Gradually with each draft the novel improved. Then one day while working on the 3rd draft I realized that the novel wasn’t bad. It wasn’t good, but it had some parts that were enjoyable. That one moment of encouragement was like getting a drop of water in space where no one can hear you thirst. While working on my 5th draft I finally felt like my precious word-baby was almost ready to be kicked out into the world.

Every time someone says you can’t do it tell yourself you can. Every time something seems impossible tell yourself that you can. Every time someone says your dinner is burning laugh at them and tell them that you don’t have time to cook until you have slayed the demon! Actually, you might want to make sure your house isn’t burning down. The bottom line is that even if you fail to reach where you want to go on your first attempt, you can always try again. We’ve used the Contra Code. You have 30 dream chasing lives. The only people who truly fail are the ones who quit and also the ones that get stomped by Godzilla. There’s no coming back from that.

4ee0bde4-d832-41d2-ae38-1e1e45c21500Brian Basham is an American author, blogger, and social media shenanigangster. He enjoys playing Texas Hold ’Em poker tournaments, putting together complex Lego sets, making small plastic items with his 3D printer, playing softball, and watching his beloved football team in Washington. He lives in Virginia Beach. 

His collection of prequel stories to his first novel titled Virtual Wars: Booting Up is now available for pre-order and scheduled to be released on 10/28/16.

If you would like to know more please visit his website at http://www.Brian-Basham.com.

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2 Responses to Guest Post: Perseverance

  1. Brian Basham

    Thanks for having me over! ❤❤❤

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