I’ve had ABBA’s Take a Chance on Me stuck in my head for the past two days thanks to a video sent to me in support of the local chapter of the SPCA. Luckily for me I enjoy the song and so found myself dancing to my own mental soundtrack as the song looped on endless repeat, particularly to the lines:
“Gonna do my very best, baby can’t you see
Gotta put me to the test, take a chance on me…”
I may also have been dancing because I received a message from Reader’s Favorite advising me that I had received a five star review for An Uncertain Faith.
I often hear from friends and family that they didn’t know that I wanted to be a writer, and I don’t blame them. For the past several years I had dreamed about writing a novel, but you don’t exactly brag about the number of stories you start, but never make it past a page or two. It is extremely easy to hit the delete button on the keyboard. Each time I would tell myself this time is going to be different. This time I have a solid idea that is screaming to be written. Then life would happen. So no, writing didn’t exactly enter into my personal 30 second elevator speech.
But this year it was different. I decided to really take a chance on me. Could I force myself to have the discipline to keep writing even when I hit the wall? Yes. Could I actually hit the send button to submit a manuscript to a professional reviewer? Gulp yes… and could I actually risk my own ego by opening their response?
Yes, because the surest way not to get your book read is to never submit it at all. I did my best. I took a chance on me.
Oh – and because the only way to get rid of an ear worm is to get the song stuck in someone else’s head, here is the SPCA Lip Dub Video – ABBA Take a Chance on me.
Allie Potts Writes 