Today is the first Wednesday of the month (which just happens to be August, snugged in between July and September) so today is Insecure Writers Support Group. I'd been trying to decide what to write when Jeff asked me to write a guest post for his blog this month. My first thought was to ask for a topic assignment. Writing a blog post is a lot like writing a novel--I waste a lot of time dithering about what I should write before I settle down to actually writing.
And much like the time spent ditheringabout the novel, the time is wasted because I usually end up writing about something else entirely. If I'm given a topic (or a writing prompt) it's simple because I can just start writing without all the melodrama. A place to start.
Sometimes I wish I could be given a place to start in my writing career. "Here's your starting line. Now just go forward and keep moving." Instead I spent twenty years in the dithering stage before I decided to act. And I still don't know whether I've reached my starting line.
Maybe I'm still in training, running half a mile per day and hoping, someday, to run a marathon. I sincerely hope not. If my luck holds true, I'm going to reach the starting line for that first marathon and someone's going to say "All that training was to prepare you to be a sanitation engineer. You're in the wrong race."
You are never in the wrong race. Anything you decide that you really, deep down want to do can be done. I'm dithering right now about two stories that I should have finished months ago and it seems like I'll never get through them, but I've decided that I'm going to finish o matter what.
ReplyDeleteI wish you all the very best and much success as you navigate this world of writing. Believe and keep the faith.
Thanks for joining me, Melissa!
DeleteHi Lauren! I'm a new follower via the IWSG. I think, no matter where you are on your writing journey, you will always be learning how to get better, how to write better, plot better, flesh out characters better. It's never ending, so there really isn't a starting point except for that moment you chose to take that step and start writing, no matter the topic. It's a life long journey if you choose it to be.
ReplyDeleteI choose it to be! :) I didn't start writing a year ago--a year ago I decided to quit my job and focus on my writing for a year. End of August!
DeleteLauren
As long as you're moving forward you should be okay. And you are not alone in that race. =)
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for that! Having others along for the ride is a lifesaver.
DeleteI sometimes have trouble deciding what to start on next. I 'dither' too. Thank goodness for deadlines.
ReplyDeleteI've never had to deal with deadlines in that sense, but I hope to some time in the future.
DeleteLauren
Yes, it feels like such a touch 'n go process. I'd like to be handed an outline, or just a first paragraph or even sentence sometimes. In other words, I appreciate this post. I suppose we just need to keep writing between bouts of dithering.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting. It's great to meet you through the IWSG.
xoRobyn
Nice to meet you, too. I'm meeting a lot of neat people through all this social media stuff. Which is another sort of starting line, I suppose.
DeleteThere is a healthy amount of dithering in my world. I'm learning to kick it where the sun don't shine, but I still struggle.
ReplyDeleteIt's what comes AFTER the dithering that we need to worry about! :) And edit, and edit again, and submit, etc...
DeleteHaha, I often ask people to tell me which way to go---and once they do, I usually go running in the opposite direction, but hey at least it gets me moving.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you're well past that starting line.
I hope so. I've had people tell me I should quit writing--not those who know me well--and I can never decide whether to laugh in their face(s) or run screaming. :)
DeleteI've read your writing and no, you should definitely NOT give up. Laugh, but to yourself, all the while knowing that you're going to make it. The screaming will be shouts of joy at obtaining your first contract or making the first sell or seeing your cover for the first time...
DeleteDon't ever give up. I'm sure you are running a marathon and you just hit mile 20 or so. Keep going.
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you. I'm a new follower from IWSG.
I will never give up. Ever. At age 97 I'll still be fussing over the fact that I have 3 books unedited. I'm sure I'll slow down by that point...
DeleteI think the fact that you buckled down and started is the most important part! From there on out everything will be progress, even if it happens in little steps.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in reaching that marathon ;)
One step...then one more. Thanks for visiting!
DeleteI think you're well into the race. taking a year off to write is a great starting place.
ReplyDelete