I joined the Sacramento Branch of the California Writers Club and attended their “3rd Saturday” lunch today. The speaker, Kevin Smokler, author of Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books You Haven’t Touched Since High School talked about courage in writing, beginning with the courage to dream big, and “think small” in order to plan and work toward achievable objectives that lead to the goal. Other courages included the courage to face up to criticism or setbacks and to believe in and develop an abundance of opportunities when one opportunity closes, the courage to be open to others and to be a team player, and the courage to learn from your experiences, continue to strive to be better and learn the business. Smokler used examples from his own experiences and got an enthusiastic reception from the 20 or so writers in attendance.

During the question period, I told Smokler that I have self-published five books and asked if that would be a strike against me if I attempted to break into the traditional publishing world. He said it would be a mark in my favor if I did that and also did all the work necessary to sell 5,000 books. Ouch! Makes sense, but I’ve got a lot of “thinking small” to do yet to get there.

Check out the Club’s website for upcoming events, including open mike nights, luncheons and networking.