Many years ago I wrote a book. Then I wrote another, and another, five in all. Though I have 12 published books to my credit, those first five have never been published, nor will they be. They aren't good enough. However, I treasure them because they taught me much about writing, lessons I could never have learned from reading about writing, or from lectures that tell me how to write. These books are the foundation of my writing, each one better than the previous one.

I never tried to get the first book published. It was a novel based on my ancestor, Henry Comstock, for whom the Nevada silver mine, the "Comstock Lode,” was named. Henry, unfortunately, sold the mine cheaply to someone he called a "California sucker.” That sucker was George Hurst, who later founded the Hearst family publishing business (and fortune) from proceeds of mine. Uh, I mean from proceeds of the mine. Ahhh … it's a good story, a true story, but I knew when I finished it that it didn't read like something a "real” writer would have written. So I filed it; but I had learned from it.

With the next books, I approached publishers and received form-rejection slips for my efforts. In presenting the fifth book, the rejections came back with personal notes scribbled on them—encouraging notes! Meantime, I had writ

ten many articles, stories and scripts that were published. So, when I got a call from an editor who said, "Can you develop a book for us based on one of your articles?” I was ready! After all, there were five books—lessons—in my files. I knew I had the ability to finish a long-term project.

The points here are: Don't let rejection destroy your dream. Don't dwell on rejected material. Believe that everything you write is a lesson; and learn it well.

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