Back when I was writing novels and working on getting them published, someone gave me a piece of advice. "You need talent, luck, and persistence. Pick any two." It's probably been twenty years since I heard those words, but I still think of them all the time. They don't just apply to getting book deals, of course. Whether you want to paint, write, play music, raise a happy kid, design beautiful houses, or run an online business that makes you happy and rich,