The Glowing Rock

This week I sent the full manuscript of Shaken off for a professional critique. I’m not usually the type to have wild mood swings, but this writing experience is bit like riding a roller coaster. One minute you’re typing away thinking, “This is great! I’m an awesome writer!” and the next minute you’re thinking, “Who do you think you are? No one is going to want to read this.”

I was talking about it with my family the other day. “I feel like the book is almost ready to submit to agents and publishers. I think I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel,” I said.

My ten year old son piped up, “Mom, wouldn’t it be funny if the light at the end of the tunnel just turned out to be a glowing rock?”

Heh, heh. Yes, dear. That would be SO funny.

But, I imagine in this case, he might be right. I know when I get the comments back from the critiquer, I will probably crash into momentary despair. “Oh, no! So much work left to do… and I thought it was almost ready!” The light I was seeing was just a glowing rock.

Then, hopefully, I will pick myself up and get back to work. Because after all, even if is only a glowing rock… it’s still a light. And light is a good thing. Right?