“It doesn’t matter what you love doing, as long as you can be the best at it.”

I’m sure we’ve all heard that quote before. Now before you get all smart-aleck on me on whether what you love doing is morally right, let me say that obviously this quote isn’t meant to pertain to criminals. Besides, statistically speaking most criminals do what they do out of necessity, not enjoyment. I’d say virtually nobody commits crimes and enjoys it unless they are mentally ill. Anyway let’s talk about what this quote actually means.

We all have things we enjoy doing. I love my universe, Nacre Then, and I’m sure that comes as no surprise. I’ve always been worried that there would be no way I could hope to “be the best at it” because my “it” is, ultimately, my universe. I’m not sure I could compete against Sanderson, or Tolkien, or Martin, but people like those universes for different reasons. My universe will in essence be fundamentally different from Middle-earth and Westeros because I am a different person from the authors that created them. Nacre Then will never have as ruthlessly detailed family lines because that’s not what interests me. It will probably a lot more focused on adventure. About all the diverse nations and things that live there. I’ll have to be the best at both magical and fantastical epicness (yes I am an English major that wrote that sentence) because that’s what I enjoy creating.

It’ll have wizard duels that terraform the land around them with the power of magic that is being thrown back and forth. It’ll have nations rising up against impossible odds to fight a foe of godlike power. It will have beings as old as time itself, pondering the complexities of what sounds like a favorable supper. That’s what I’ll be the best at. Some people may like that sort of thing more than they like Game of Thrones. That doesn’t necessarily mean I am a better writer than George R. R. Martin, it just means I’ve filled a hole that he didn’t fit. I don’t personally like his writing too much, but I can see how great a writer he is. So all I have to do is become a great writer to find my niche, essentially. I feel like you find your place naturally if you just keep at it and never lose focus.

I used to think that some things were out of my reach merely because I don’t have as far a head start as others, but I’ve since learned that some things happen as a matter of chance, and some as a matter of patience and practice.

Some dreams are hard to achieve, I’ll give you that. If you see those dreams as stars in the night sky, they can seem impossible. It can be especially frustrating when some land in the palm of the hands of those around you. But if you turn your back and walk away, you’ll never get there. Only by jumping will you stand a chance against those odds.