What is the theme for 2014 for Aaron Michael Ritchey?  What do you say?

Resiliency. 

2014 my second book hits the streets, and it’s not your typical little book.  It’s a suicide book, but not your typical suicide book.  It’s a happy, darkly funny suicide book about a drug addict who gets clean, but turns suicidal.  However, the more suicidal he gets, the more interesting his life becomes.  It’s gonna be a love\hate type of book.

I have never had thick skin.  I feel.  Everything.  Intensely.  And this book, well, I’ve spent my fair share wanting out of life, so it’s even more personal.

And I’m shopping a dozen other projects around and getting shellacked by readers, by my critique group, by agents, and by editors.

Resiliency.

Hey internet, what does the word resiliency mean?

resiliency

Web definitions

1. 1.    resilience: an occurrence of rebounding or springing back

I don’t do that.  I get hit with a rejection, a bad review, a hard critique night, and I go down.  I might still write, and I might still do my day, but inside, I am leveled.

 So this year?  Resiliency.  I talked with a friend who works at Entangled Press, a local Colorado girl, and when she gets bad news, she allows herself to fall apart for ten minutes.  That’s it.  Cry, scream, gnash your teeth, shake your first at heaven!  For ten minutes.

 Then?

 SPRING BACK!  Onward!  Grab the rebound and let’s get to it.

 Perseverance I got.  That’s easy.  I don’t just get into a rut, I furnish it.  I might hate my life, but I’ll keep going and decorate it just so.  For whatever reason, hardworking salt-of-the-earth parents, my Catholic upbringing, my longing to be a stoic warrior, I can do perseverance.

 I need resiliency.

 God, help me.