Choices

Currently reading - Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

A couple of recent situations got me thinking. In both, the author in question made the difficult decision to leave their current publishing house. UF author and mother of Kitty the Werewolf DJ, Carrie Vaughn talks about her decision on her blog, Genreality. The other I can't really talk about publicly yet, but a pubbed friend hit a point similar to Carrie's.

Sometimes it's incredibly difficult doing the right thing for your career, or your life. There's no guarantees in either. Both Carrie and my friend could have ended up landing on the street on their asses, instead of finding a new home for their characters. It takes a lot of faith and a hell of a lot more bravery to say, "I'm not taking your sucky deal. I'm worth more than that."

Even worse, our society teaches girls not to stand and say "I'm worth it." (L'Oreal commericals aside.) My own mother constantly told me as a child I couldn't act smarter or run faster than the boys because they wouldn't like me. And I hear my brother-in-law make similar statements to my nieces thirty years later.

So take the bull by the dick and tell a woman you love, "You're worth it!"

Include the one in the mirror while you're at it.