When I first started writing this blog, I pointed out the cold sad fact that the most amount of people write the least read type of books: fiction.

Well, according to a recent article in The New York Times, even less people are reading fiction these days, or at least buying fiction, and that the major publishing houses are relying more and more on the big blockbuster authors, instead of taking risks on first-timers like myself.

So the impossible odds have gotten even more…impossibler.  How lovely.

But, I’m not allowed to be disheartened.  You know why?

Because my birthday was yesterday, and one of the gifts my wife got me was a subscription to The Writer magazine, with the tagline "advice and inspiration for today's writer," and articles like “Five Ways to Make Your Query Stand Out" and "A Step-by-Step Approach to Creating Emotionally Rich Characters."

She said it’s to keep me inspired, to push me to keep writing.

So, I guess I better get started…