Happy heart day, fellow authors! By Michele Weber Hurwitz

This month, we're blogging about self-esteem and our favorite writing quotes. My post just happens to fall on Valentine's Day, which is a perfect day for me to remind my fellow authors of some of my favorite writing sentiments: Love yourself. Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself. And most of all, forgive yourself.

The morning where all you could eek out was two sentences? Love yourself anyway. Turn off your laptop, make a cup of tea, and curl up on the comfiest chair in your home. Stare out the window -- whether it's a polar vortex or a palm tree -- and remind yourself that the next day will be better and the words will come.

The day you received that stinging rejection? Be kind to yourself. It happens to everyone, even successful multi-published authors. Bruce Hale collected rejection letters for more than eight years before he got a contract, and then hit a snag midway through his writing career when one of his series didn't do well and was discontinued by the publisher.

Treat yourself on a regular basis. Ice cream and chocolate do just fine, but have you heard about author Julia Cameron's advice to go on a weekly "artist's date?" In her book, The Artist's Way, she recommends going somewhere by yourself at least once a week to nurture and feed your creative spirit.

Writing is so solitary, but spending time away from your work, at an art museum, a concert, walking in the woods, anywhere that speaks to you, can do wonders for your creativity and amazingly, productivity.


Lastly, forgive yourself! This one is important, and can be hard. Things happen in this business. A manuscript doesn't sell. You and your agent part ways. A book you've poured time and energy into falls through the cracks and doesn't find its reader. You got a not-so-great review.

Much of this is out of your control. So forgive yourself for whatever happened, move on, and do what you do best and can control -- the writing.


Michele Weber Hurwitz, the author of four middle grade novels, is off to stare out the window and eat some chocolate. It's been that kind of day. Find her online at micheleweberhurwitz.com.