Exactly who do you think you are?

	It’s funny, in a sad way: everyone knows that Daring Do and AK Yearling are two different ponies. It's obvious. One's fictional, one's not. Everyone [i]knows[/i].

	Except for those few fans. Rainbow Dash, Princess Twilight, that... one guy? Quibble something. They saw that Daring and Yearling are one and the same. They [i]know[/i].

	But you and I know better, don't we?

	Look at you. Alone at your desk, a bottle and a half of cider down the hatch already, but at least there's [s]less[/s] fewer bottles here than rejections. [i]Daring Do and the Black Curse[/i] sent off to the publisher, for the fifth time, and Celestia only knows if they'll like it—this last adventure was a mess and it's not the kind you can wrangle into a narrative, except that saving artifacts doesn't pay the bills so you have to. Look at you, not knowing if they'll like it. Not knowing.

	Wouldn't it be nicer if this was a story? Where the ending is planned out from the start?

	If you had control, like [i]me[/i], it would be great. Daring Do always has control. Even when I’m tied up in some collapsing temple. Look at you, free as a bird and with the wings to match, and you can't even

	Okay, smashing the cider bottles helps no one. Look what you did! The page is all wet, you'll have to find somewhere else to










	Are we done with our tantrum? Calm down.

	Using the whiteboard now, huh?

	[i]In chapter two Daring Do should reflect on her mother, who taught her[/i]

	Why would they like it now, you sent in four other drafts and they were all rejected. “Trite.” “No coherent theme.” “Not up to your usual standards, Yearling.”

	[i]Connect theme of family with villains, who are trying to prove to their fathers that[/i]

	Okay what are you doing. You know this is your whiteboard, right?

	[i]Maybe I can turn all these rejections into[/i]

	The one you plot my stories on. Real helpful, writing me over your notes.

	[i]a metastory about the importance of perseverance in the[/i]

	Stop it!

	[i]face of adversity[/i]

	Stop erasing your notes just to make me beat up on you! If you do that, even I won't know what's supposed to come next!

	It's not helping

	It's not










	This is better. But back of rejection letter—way smaller than a whiteboard.

	Not to mention, you can’t erase these words like on the board. Make words count.

	It's okay. You've got money in bank. Even if [i]Black Curse[/i] doesn't pan out you'll



	be fine for bills. You can publish a stinker or two and stay in the black. It's okay.

	You are a [i]little[/i] me, AK. Every author is a little their characters. You most of all.

	(There don’t seem to be as many rejections now that you’re writing on them, huh.)



	You do know the future. You do know what comes next. Let that heartrate fall.

	Or at least how you'll respond to it. You'll pull through just fine.

	After all, you're Daring Do.



	Take a deep breath.

	You're going to be okay.

	We're going to be okay.

	I'm going to be okay. Because I’m Daring Do.