“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back
I remember the first book that stunned me, and the one that introduced me to the fiction fantasy world: The NeverEnding story, by Michael Ende. And I got to admit, I saw the movie first but it was when I read the book when I start putting in my head the idea of becoming a writer. I was just a kid. But I knew I wanted to become a writer someday and I did.
The first step was becoming a journalist back in my country, Colombia. Later I moved to the US where I became involved with the Hispanic media industry. A few years later I was cofounding Muévelo Magazine, a project in which I devoted all my time and soul for 3 years. However, that project had to end, and it ended abruptly and messy, leaving me a sensation of failure. It took me a while to realize that no matter the outcome of an experience, it will never be a failure. Experience, either negative or positive, is a necessary path to learn. Muévelo was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life both personally and professionally. When I healed and understood the importance of moving on, I decided my next steps. As I was preparing to start my Masters degree, one day I just woke up and felt it. It was time to write that book.
Writing my first novel was not easy but that is certainly the easiest part in the publishing industry, which I consider brutal, competitive and overwhelming. It’s not enough to be a good writer. After you write your book there is a long journey ahead, filled with surprises and rejections, ambivalences and subjectivity. Not everyone is as talented as J.K. Rowling or as lucky as E.L. James. However, I believe there must be millions of undiscovered Harry Potters and other million more shades of Grey out there. So a few weeks ago when I got the copy of my book after 8 years of dreaming about it, I couldn’t hold my tears. But this is not the end, it’s just beginning. There are other books trapped in my laptop, but their time will come.
All what I have achieved is because I’ve always persevered. And thanks to this industry I’ve developed a very thick skin to do so. I know now that dreaming is what keeps you alive. But you need to be ready to fight for that dream and do what it takes to making it come true. And the most important thing: fulfilling a dream doesn’t mean you have to stop. That dream will make you have a new one, and every time ahead you are growing, you are getting stronger, you are wiser, and more confident. You realize that your life is a collection of fulfilled dreams that make your journey an amazing tale. Thus, all of our stories are what moves the universe. We must keep on dreaming while we can.