The Victory of Success; the Agony of Defeat In the World Cup (and of course, other games), unless a tie occurs, there’s a winner and loser. When a team wins, the players are ecstatic. After the game they run around the field, hug and kiss each other, and wave to their overjoyed fans. If they’re good sportsmen, they’ll shake the hands of their opponents and sometimes even exchange shirts (sweat-drenched and all). On the other hand, the losing team is devastated. Some players are so sad they stay in the same spot for a while. Dejected, other players hang their head down with disappointment. Others cry and they comfort each other, while their fans look on in disbelief and disappointment. If the players are good sports, they’ll shake the hands of their rivals, too. This week, during the semi finals Italy beat Germany (2-0) by scoring two rigorous goals in the last three minutes of the overtime game. The Italy team and their fans were extremely happy. The German team and their fans looked inconsolable. During the France vs. Portugal game, France won by making a upsetting goal (1-0). The Portugal team and their fans were sad. Watching the games, it’s dawned on me that the feelings an author experiences are similar to the ones team players go through after playing the Beautiful Game. When an author completes a manuscript (or even a page or a chapter), meets a deadline – when a publisher offers a contract, or readers like the story, the author feels victorious.   It’s like kicking that ball past the goalie and landing it into the net. GOAL!!! GOAL!!! GOAL!!! Very exciting!