Like Mother Like Son

by Ursula Renee





On February 19, 1995, when the doctor placed my son in my arms, my main desire was that my child would grow up and follow his dreams. I welcomed the idea of having a doctor or lawyer in the family, but in the end, he would need to do what made him happy.

Of course, following his dreams would not be easy. He needed to understand that no matter what he chose to do, there would be times when he would struggle, things would not always go his way, and on more than one occasion he would want to throw in the towel. Therefore, I needed to teach him by example so he would learn to stick with whatever he start and see it through to the end.

My son has witnessed each challenge I have faced as an aspiring author. He has watched me pace the floors as I fought through the writer’s block; bite my nails as I waited to hear back from editors, and slump my shoulders as I read my rejections.

However, I made sure that he watched as I bounced back. After I get a rejection, I allow myself to have a pity party, but the party does not last more than a day. Once I have finished feeling sorry for myself, I take note of why the editor did not feel my manuscript was right for her and review the problem areas. If necessary, I take classes or read books to improve my skills, then re-edit my work and submit it to the next editor. Though there are times that I wonder if I will ever succeed, I continue to write, edit and submit, because I know that I will never make it if I do not try. I also work on my craft because I should not my son to face challenges if I do not.

I hope that by watching my journey to becoming a published author, my son will learn that following a dream is not easy, but giving up is not the answer. I also want him to know that I will be there to lend a hand when things get tough. And, when he achieves, I will be there cheering him on.

Ursula Renee is the Vice President of RWA/NYC and currently writing in both the romantic suspense and historical romance genres.