A writer without a goal won’t write. Whether it’s the goal of a hundred words a week or a few thousand words a day, there must be some internal incentive or deadline. I’ve met many would-be writers that have ideas and never commit them to paper. I’ve had people, after discovering I’m an author, say to me, “I have a story for you!” and I’d curb my tongue and not follow up with, “And why aren’t you writing it?”
Believe me, I know how daunting the writing process can be!! I recall years ago when considering penning a novel and mentioning it at a holiday social outing with a group of volunteer religious education teachers. One fellow teacher said, “I can’t imagine writing a book” as if it were an impossible feat. And then I’d even question my own efforts which led to stumbling blocks and long stretches of abandoning my first novel. The only thing procrastination accomplished was a painful return to the story and revisiting what I’d already written. I got to the point that I had to face myself in the mirror and say, “Are you writing this book or not?” Well, of course I knew the answer, but the kick in the seat of my pants was a regular occurrence. And then, I’d reach a turning point, and the ideas would race through my mind and the words would tumble onto the paper or computer screen, and I’d jump for joy! I’d reached the finish line, my version of going for the gold! Of course, it was the first draft, but STILL, the story was committed to print and not just something swirling around in my head.
As writers, how many stories can we keep inside of us before we commit to materializing them? I don’t have the answer to this one! But I recall a rather acerbic reply to the notion of story ideas when I mentioned it to a former professor? I contested that every person has some creative idea. And the smile and slight chuckle was followed by, “There are people who don’t have an idea in their head.” Well, the creative side of me still believes that people have dreams and goals, if not story ideas, which are really like stories that haven’t yet been realized. I think a story is either a recounting of something that occurred, a recounting of something created, or a dream, maybe deferred. To me they are all stories!
So I finished my novel and got it published, and so the story continues, in a fashion with a planned series that sprung forth from “Unearthing Christmas.” the one I tortured myself with until the turning point of actually getting to the goal.
For a writer, completing a work is like winning a trophy. The sense of accomplishment can’t be minimized, because each creation has a little bit of ourselves and the sacrifice of time, the momentary exhaustion of talent, and the perseverance to believe enough to see it through. Do doubts occur along the way? For me, undoubtedly!
The time spent belaboring the first draft is never wasted, even when I know I face another uphill battle with rewrites, criticisms, critiques, rejections, and, ultimately, a questioning of my own development as a writer. The experts will tell you to hone your ideas, but first get them down on paper. Keep a notebook by your side and don’t let a thought for a book, a poem, short story or lyric escape you! The idea for my first novel “Unearthing Christmas” started with a dream. Not a full length, plotted one with twists and turns that defy logic or reality. It was a crystal clear visual that stayed with me when I awoke. So I wrote it down in a sentence, and I still have the piece of paper that described the visual something akin to “a string of poinsettia garland draped across cleared away table of dirt.” That was it, but it led me to imagine what was underneath the garland, and the dig, if you will, turned into a novel.
Get going and don’t let the distractions of life stop you from reaching the finish line! The gold awaits you, and so does your story!