Moodymuses.com might be on hiatus, but I’m not. For those of you enjoyed reading my musings (whinings, rantings, etc.) regarding writing, I’ll be posting my thoughts right here. Check every week for a new Moody Muses post as well as Barb Wallace writing news.
MARATHON WRITING
I’ve always likened writing to marathon running. When you stand at the starting line, the finish seems soooo far away. You wonder how you will ever get there. The only way, I learned, is to just keep moving forward one step at a time. One painful, out of breath step. Eventually, you discover all those steps have taken you some place really great. Like the end of the race.
Lately, I’ve been discouraged. The writing marathon has been more difficult than usual. I’ve come to realize that it’s because instead of focusing on running, I’ve been focusing on the other runners. As soon as I start comparing myself to other writers – whether it’s in terms of success or simply writing output – I stumble. I forget to take things one step at a time.
In this social media-laden world, it’s easy to get caught up in the careers of others. After all, every time you log onto the computer, you read that someone else got a big deal, or put out another book, or scored another fantastic review. Even #1K1Hr – perhaps the best writing motivator ever – can become problematic, especially if you’re a slow writer. Reading that your online partners are whipping off 1300 words while you’re lucky to produce 500 can make you feel pressured. Pretty soon you’re actually writing fewer words, and getting frustrated.
So that’s the point of today’s post. Don’t compare yourself to other writers. Don’t get discouraged because someone wrote a book in a month or puts out five books a year or is getting a zillion five star reviews. Write your story at your own pace. Honor your process no matter how messy it is. And get to the finish line by taking it one word at a time. One painful, fought-for word.
Happy Thoughts!
Barb