Whine, but only a little

Crummy days. No matter where you work, in an outside office, or at home, you get 'em. Yesterday was my crummy day, one of the worst. (Note to reader: Do feel free to unload details of a crummy day you've lived through, and how you survived it.)

What happened to bring on this whine session? Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing.

I sent countless e-mail follow-ups (Dear Editor: Will you be able to use the piece I sent three months ago? You prefer single as opposed to simultaneous submissions, and I just wondered if...), tried to locate sources for another project, froze the computer twice on a research mission, left phone messages to set up interviews, and, zip, nothin'. By the way, part of e-mail's allure is that responses are instantaneous, right? So...where are they? Is anybody home???

As my Mother and Rock of Gibraltar would have said, Simmer down, you!

So I did. That small action actually saved the day. Look at the situation through their lens, I told myself. I may be in a hurry for a reply, but maybe they're waiting for a reply before they can get back to me. My Solution: Be patient a little longer.

Then I asked myself, Have I really researched that market well enough to place a piece there? Solution: Do like the guidelines say; study the publication first. Then submit.

Finally, this burning question begged for an answer. Undoubtedly, I have the passion to write and be read. But do I also have the passion to slog through the valleys as well as enjoy the peaks? Solution: Take a closer look at my commitment.

It takes more than writing well to be a successful freelance writer. It takes perseverance, day in, day out, crummy days or no.

No pressure, no diamonds. That's Mary Case's simple but profound gem. Four words that could have helped me skip that whine party.