You Think Ignorance is Expensive, Try Living Without Paying the Price

Published: Sun, 04/08/18

A part of paying the price is the willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done. It comes from a declaration that you are going to get it done, no matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes, no matter what comes up.

— Jack Canfield

Before Blade. before, Black Lightening, before Luke Cage and Black Panther and this interest in black speculative fiction, I wanted to write fiction that featured themes and characters from my culture in genre fiction that I loved so dearly. Back then It wasn't a thing and I've had publishers freeze out my work because of my ambitions in speculative fiction. I persisted and watched the accolades being bestowed on the usual suspects who were showing us the world from their perspective, again and again.

Am I hating?

Of course not. James Herbert, Clive Barker, Stephen King, Dean Koontz. Peter Straub, David Seltzer, David Eddings the names go on and on of authors I love, who have given me years of fantastic entertainment and wisdom. But I was starving for books with characters like me, from my culture with familiar motivations but set in a horror, fantasy or Sci-Fi milieu.

Some greats had come before me like Octavia Butler, Samuel R Delaney, Charles R Saunders, Nalo Hopkinson, Tananarive Due to name a few but this was my personal journey.

And so started pursuing my dream of producing speculative fiction with an African-Caribbean flavour but my work was ignored by publisher after publisher, agent after agent. I worked at my craft and felt the sting of rejection, time and time again. And when I did find a publisher to work with me, Fantastic fiction was the last thing they wanted me to write.

It was gruelling, tough and daunting and sometimes no matter how hard you push, the work did not reach or engage with enough readers.

Dread it, run from it, destiny still arrives. You must pay the price

I kept at it.

The work got overlooked but I kept showing up with more ideas. I even took time out putting my writing on hold because my goals weren't realistic I was told.

Nobody wants to read about a united Africa in the future.

I dread to think where I would be today if I had listened to my ego tell me what I could and couldn't do. It was painful but their was no other way. I either believed in my vision or I didn't. I questioned whether the price was worth it. I'm so glad I didn't give up. I pushed through.

The Self Publishing revolution changed everything.

Writing for me is not easy. I'm sure for some it comes completely naturally. What I did appreciate in the darker times was the necessity of paying the price and that principle touched on every aspect of my life. As Jim Rohn said success is not to be pursued, its to be attracted by the person you become.

Man, was he right.

These days I don't stress about the process, I know its making me better, I just settle into the business of paying the price with a smile mainly or a grimace on the bad days.

Hope this Helps

You can live your life on purpose. You can spend your time on things you value. You can be who you want to be. You can continue to progress and evolve, even after you've become successful and fulfilled.

But the price must be paid.

You can't fake it.

It's yours if you want it. Just choose.

Peace, love and Power

Kwa Heri, Kings and Queens