Stories that Matter
Here We Go Again…(aka Can We Just Skip This?)
In the writing community, you’ll hear a lot of talk about the stages of a writer’s life. The waiting, the wondering, the frustration at trying to figure out where you went wrong…all that fun stuff that nobody really wants to experience, yet we all do. Here’s another one.
Revisions.
Oh, wait. I’ve blogged about this already. Yes, that’s right. I have. And you can read all about it here. So rather than repeat myself, I’m simply going to say I’m staring my manuscript in the face today and considering plugging in the shredder. Or hitting delete. Several times in quick succession. Just to make sure.
But not really. Really, I’m trying to convince myself that I CAN DO THIS. I know I have a story in there somewhere, and it’s a good one. I just need to unravel a few knots.
It’s not that I can’t or won’t follow direction when it’s given. I will. I love direction. But sometimes…sometimes I can’t see through the forest for the trees. Know what I mean? Yes, you reach for your red pen and cross out that cliché.
My husband seemed a bit baffled when I expressed my angst at having to go back into my manuscript at my agent’s request, and make a few changes. He thought the whole prospect should excite me. He got the death stare. But you know, he’s probably right.
Look back. Remember. I tell myself this each time I get discouraged. Because it wasn’t all that long ago really, when I was almost ready to give up this whole gig. I didn’t have an agent. I didn’t see a future in publishing for me, and I felt like I was just spinning my wheels. But I didn’t give up. I pressed on. And I achieved my dream. So now it’s up to me to keep that dream alive.
And that takes work. Hard work.
I suppose by now you’ve figured out that today’s post is really a pep talk for me. Something to get me motivated to press on again, to tackle the task of revising my manuscript one more time. To do my utmost to get it right.
As a child, I suffered from low self-esteem. It still rears its head every now and then. One thing I was taught to do was to make lists for myself. Things I could do to get through what I needed to. Then I would visualize myself getting there. I believe today they call it mental training. Does it work? Heck if I know. But I’m willing to give it a shot.
* I will stop looking at other authors who seem to be bounding ahead. And I will not envy them.
* I will not check my rankings on Amazon. (today).
* I will tell myself I CAN DO THIS. Over and over. However many times it takes before I believe it.
* I will ask my friends, you guys, to support me, encourage me. Send chocolate. Champagne. Both.
* I will quit complaining and get on with it.
* I will succeed.
There. Positive motivation.
So now it’s your turn. How do you force yourself to keep going when you’d rather sit in front of the television and watch re-runs of Downton Abbey all day?
You can do this.
Sending you virtual chocolate.
Sending you virtual champagne.
Sending you virtual hugs.
And you certainly know what dreams are made of: Hard work.
You can do this.
Repeat as necessary and sip on that champagne, my friend.
Appreciate all of the above!! You are a great encourager!! 🙂
God speed!
I remin myself that it’s (the writing becoming published) not going to happen all by itself–that I have to actually do something about it, like write! And, so that’s what I’m going to do right now 😉 You can do it, Cathy ♡
I just wrapped up a round of revisions and I always remember that I’m living my dream so even the hard parts are so worth it. YOU CAN DO THIS! 🙂
WooHoo, Joanne! Congrats on getting those revisions done! I’ve made a start and so far it’s going well. 🙂
I agree with Joanne Bischof: we are living a dream so even the hard parts are so worth it.
Like to add a practical note: When I find myself facing obstacles (revisions, plot changes, blank wall, lack of energy, etc.), I have found that turning to other tasks frees up my mind. This often results in both energy and freed up imagination while doing the other task. Then, it’s back to work.
You can do this!
Thanks for your comment and encouragement! I exercise first thing in the morning on most days, which helps to get my mind working, and then I take my dog for a walk in the afternoon, where I mull over storylines etc…anybody that passes me on the road and waves might get ignored, but not on purpose of course!!
I think I do it by making my goals smaller. Instead of say editing a chapter. I consider it a victory if I manage to edit a moment. Each chapter or scene is made up of even smaller moments. So on days where editing an entire chapter, especially one I have reservations about, seems too much. I decide to just edit a moment, and see how that goes. It seems easier to go in smaller chunks than feeling like I’ve failed for not making it through revising/editing 20 pages in 4 hours.