One of my favorite movie moments occurs in "Miracle on 34th Street," when a young Natalie Wood is in the back seat of the car, muttering to herself - with forced enthusiasm - "I believe, I believe," in hopes that Santa Claus really can give her the gift of the house she dreams of.

Many a time -especially over the past several years - I have channeled my inner Natalie as I persevered.

I believe the more you write, the better you get.
I believe that some worthy stories are destined to be in the world, no matter the obstacles.
I believe it's never too late to follow your dream.

Here's what Elizabeth Gilbert has to say about "Wishing vs. Believing." She must have an inner Natalie Wood, too.

http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/you-dont-get-what-you-wish-for-you-get-what-you-believe-heres-a-photo-fro/

And lastly, Stella would like you to believe that her wish to have one day without getting scolded can come true, too.

"If you build it, they will come."  It may be presumptuous to build an author page before selling a book, but since my debut novel, "Make a Wish, Zellie Greene," is about heartfelt wishes and the belief in things we cannot see, or even know for sure, then why not take this leap of faith as well?

Plus, it takes this most-procrastinated-tool off my "To Do" list. And no one can procrastinate quite 
like a writer.  Case in point, this recent article from The Atlantic: http://m.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/02/the-psychological-roots-of-procrastination/283773/#ad-jump-ad-mobile-instream-1

More importantly, Libby assures me that as I work today, she'll take care of the napping portion of our schedule.