Hey, You!

I know you're preparing for your red-carpet debut, and this is different from stuff you've done in the past. I bet you're a little bit worried about your appearance. You want to look and feel ready for anything. Well, you do. Your bravery is showing, fierce and unmistakable.

You always felt you had to work harder, be smarter, and strategize better than everyone else for the bare minimum of approval. You were always terrified of rejection. It's understandable, considering the times you had to go it alone. When you're at the vanguard, there's rarely an entourage, right? It can be frightful and lonesome to forge a new path, as you have.

Daydreaming love stories unlike anything mainstream, you buried your secrets in your art and writing. The day you came out, someone asked, "How long have you been this way?"

"Forever," you confessed, trembling.

Well, of course, there were ripples, darling. Everything creates ripples. You might have longed for acceptance and support, but that wasn't a part of your character arc at that time.

So, when you got laid off from your nine-to-five, you were on your own. You took a leap of faith and traded what looked like security for your passion. Nobody believed you could make it as a queer Black writer. It was scary but exhilarating when you somehow managed to build a 15-year-career of it.

Then came the crash. You lost your clients. You lost your home. You lost everything. You had to start over.

But isn't it amazing how the universe works? The easy route would have never delivered you here. You struggled every step of the way, yes, but you climbed back to the top of the mountain. Now, look at you! Beloved, you are right at the edge of all your dreams coming true. And I am here, writing to you from the past, with advice for when you inevitably step off that ledge and fly.

It's okay to be afraid. The most freeing moments often start off the most petrifying. Fear spurs us to action. So, be human, be vulnerable, and let whatever scares you, move you.

You don't need permission to disrupt the status quo. Create those ripples. Because what sets you apart isn't how hard you work, how smart you are, or even what strategies you apply. You are a show-stopping original because you keep going no matter what you're up against. Approval not required.

No matter how you feel, you are never alone. I hope you remember how you entertained yourself, imagining vibrant fictional worlds peopled by brave and unforgettable characters who were queer, trans, nonbinary, and polyamorous. I want you to think of how you went through the transformative fires of hardship and despair to bring them to life. They were with you every step of the way.

Now you'll be with readers every step of the way. You are not just a writer, Sondi. You are a magician, leading the charge across the rainbow bridge over fear of rejection to the shores of self-acceptance. It took us forever to reach this place, but having met me at my lowest, I have loved me to higher heights.

The last thing I want you to remember is that life is cyclical. One day you might find yourself hitting rock bottom again, but you know what? There's only one way to go from there. Keep looking up.

All the best,

Sondi Warner

P.S. Share this with anyone who needs it, would you? There's a whole new generation of writers daydreaming unconventional love stories, waiting for their chance. Light their way.