Welcome to THE CHECK-IN, where you can get a sneak peek into my writing progress every week! Read on to find out what I’m working on and how things are progressing in my world.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Lonely is the Night – Not as much progress as I was hoping for on this draft, but progress nonetheless! I’m going to put that down to the fact that I had an event this weekend – and that the event unexpectedly went from 1-day to 2! So I had less writing time than I had anticipated. Soon though, hopefully in the next couple of weeks, this sucker will be finished and I can put it away for a little while!
- Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch… – Still feeling this new piece out as far as tone and plot. Think I’m going to try and write it in 3rd person, which…well, it’s been a minute since I’ve written a book in 3rd, let me tell you that! So it’s taking some getting used to. Really liking how my main characters are fleshing out though!
Honestly, when I first sat down to write this post, I was really disappointed in myself. In my progress, or lack of progress as I see it. Looking at the numbers, looking how little I’m moving forward in both drafts…well, it felt like a microcosm of my whole writing career right now. I’m trying as hard as I can, I know I’m putting in the work, but I just don’t seem to be making the progress I think I should.
But then I remembered that progress, success, whatever you want to call it, doesn’t happen in a straight line. There’s no direct cause and effect between hard work and results (not in this business). I take pride in my work, whether it results in twenty thousand words or five hundred. I take pride in my trying, in loving recklessly and living passionately. It’s what thirteen-year-old me always dreamed I would grow up and do — and be. And damn, I’m proud of myself. It really is about the journey at least as much as it is the destination. Sometimes I forget that.
LESSON OF THE WEEK: MAKE YOUR THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD SELF PROUD.