When I was 15, I decided I wanted to be a fantasy author.

Of course, whenever we set goals in life, life tests us. And I was no exception.

These were the 2 most difficult choices I've ever had to make in life—and both directly impacted my goal to be an author.

Hard Choice #1: I had to give up the writer's dream of being "discovered".

Even though I had been writing for a few years by the time this choice came around, it was still hard. I would put a couple of chapters out on Wattpad or share a short story on Tumblr, and instead of the heaps of praise other writers would hear, I would get no responses.

It took enormous effort to get anyone to read my work, and I knew then I wouldn't just be able to throw some chapters out and have someone pay me to write a novel.

Knowing that, it still took me a long time to decide to publish anyway. I have a long journey ahead, but it will be even more worth it for the time spent building an audience who genuinely cares about my stories.

Hard Choice #2: I had to give up on a story when it just didn't work.

I used to write collaborative stories with others, and a few of them were truly amazing to write. Others were much more of a struggle. I wanted to let them go, but I was attached to the characters and the work I had already put in.

What I finally came to terms with was that sometimes a story just doesn't work like you want it to. Maybe the characters are meant to tell another story, or maybe the plot just isn't right.

For the characters I truly love, I filed them away for future use. And if that day never comes, then that's okay.

And here's the thing:

Being forced to make these choices ultimately got me to where I am today—which is a writer who publishes every single day and is absolutely worldbuilding obsessed.