Writing--No Matter What

We've all heard it before---you should be writing every day (or close to it) if you really consider yourself a writer. And especially if you want to become an author.

I can't tell you how true I think this statement is.

I used to write whenever the mood would strike--and usually, that mood would strike often. I loved to write. There was a huge part of me that had to write, much like some people have to go for a run. But there would be occasional times where I'd go a long time without that mood striking. Sure, I'd blame it on busyness, on work, on family obligations, etc. And while I wouldn't feel all that bad about it--because I knew, probably sooner rather than later, that I would go through another phase of writing a lot--they were still excuses. And that gap between writing a lot and going through a slow spell before hitting the keyboard again would really slow down my momentum.

I finally made a conscious decision to follow the advice I had been hearing for so long--to write every single day. When I made that decision--though I didn't realize it at the time--it was a step toward taking myself seriously. It was admitting that behind all those excuses, there was doubt--that I couldn't do it, that I would fail, that I didn't really have it in me.

I am happy to say that I stuck to it. My novel is complete. Complete!  Know what that means? My determination and discipline paid off. That gut feeling inside that had dared myself to believe in my story, my writing ability, myself WON over those little spurts of doubt. And now, after many, many revisions, after having qualified editors review my work, after more revisions, it's really real:

•  My novel.
• The potential of my novel to peak an agent's interest, then make it to a publishing house.
• The fact that I can truly say I'm a writer--not just one who jots down some stories now and then before getting busy and forgetting about them, not just one who has a dream of writing but no discipline to put that dream into action.

If you've felt the same thrill of being able to say those things--congratulations. It's a greet feeling, isn't it? The road to turning your manuscript into print will most likely be another long journey, don't get me wrong. But no matter how you slice it, you've still overcome half the battle. You've turned a thought, an idea, a few words on page 1 into a full written work.

If you're struggling with staying focused and following through---make up your mind that you WILL stay focused. You HAVE to, because otherwise you will always wonder if you were capable. Did you hear that? (Ok, I know you did but I think it's worth repeating.) You will ALWAYS wonder if you were capable.

Dare yourself to believe you are capable.

Yes, it will be hard. Yes, it will take up a lot of your time. And yes, there will be times when you'll hit a road block in your plot you hadn't considered--and that has to be resolved before the story can continue and still make sense. Or times where you'll spend 100 pages developing a character only to realize he/she just isn't fitting in or coming across as well as you had hoped. Or times when you have had a long day at work and really just want to watch a movie/promise yourself to work on your manuscript tomorrow. All of those things WILL happen.

My advice for you is to be prepared for those moments--and to push through them and stay committed to your goal. Because if writing is truly your passion, no matter how much you're tempted to call it a day and procrastinate for "when the mood strikes" you'll feel much more satisfied after getting your words down THAT day, EVERY day (even if it's only for 30 minutes or an hour ....or 2 pages or 10 pages or 50 pages--however you quantify it). And all those days will add up until one day....ONE DAY, your manuscript is complete.