I mentioned a couple posts down that I was starting a new story.
Well, I fibbed.
Okay, actually I didn't fib. I did start a new story. But I haven't stuck with it.
There are lots of reasons but I'm not going to bore you. Mostly because they aren't all positive and I prefer to stay in the light when I can. The bottom line is that I didn't feel like writing that right now. So I'm going to focus instead on the future and what I do want to write next.
This path we walk as writers (I'm assuming most of you are writers so I'll use the collective here) is a murky one. There is no prescribed route. There is no checklist to accomplish our goals, no "if I follow this flowchart I will reach my destination." There isn't a one-size-fits-all destination to reach. Publishing takes so many shapes, one writer's "success" might not even be on another's roadmap.
Like any journey with no clear destination, we can only use our hearts as our compass.
I'm not so bohemian as to forget that publishing is a business. Because it is. Books are commodities that are bought and sold. And when money is involved, the heart can become lost. When something becomes commercial, it is assigned a value. As an unpublished author of three completed manuscripts, I've been tempted at times to disregard my unpublished efforts as lacking value. To the publishing industry, these efforts DO lack value. No one has made money from them.
But to me, they are invaluable. They're the stepping stones on my journey. I've started every story I've finished as an exercise in following my bliss. I've been struck by inspiration and I've followed it to its conclusion. Each time, I've learned more about myself and I've grown in my craft. So, though these stories may never earn me any money, they are treasures to me.
After all, you can not assign a value to an experience. It becomes part of what makes us intrinsically different from everyone else and our differences are what make us priceless.
So, once again, I'm following an inspiration. As I set out, I have no idea what I'll learn. It's exciting and scary and exhilarating. But, isn't that the gift and the joy of this phase of the journey?
"I've been tempted at times to disregard my unpublished efforts as lacking value. To the publishing industry, these efforts DO lack value. No one has made money from them"
ReplyDeleteBUT to readers such as myself, IE a person who has read some of your work, your efforts Do have value. A writer with potential is like a savings bond. Bonds are commodities that have to mature before they can be cashed in. Writing, like a bond, needs time to mature too. The payout for the diligent hard working writer is getting published, acclaim, and of course $. The payout for the diligent ( hey it takes work to scout out a new voice ) , patient reader is … getting to read a well crafted, memorable story. And if it takes three WIPS or ten to perfect your craft, that’s okay with us. We get to see tidbits & excerpts while we wait for you to “make it”. Those glimpses into the storyteller you will become are like being served an appetizer before the main course.
And honestly Who doesn’t love an appetizer? So see? Your work does have value, at least from a reader’s stand point it does.
Thanks for this, Jules. :) Especially the parts that assume I'm going to "make it." LOL!!
ReplyDeleteBut I keep writing for this exact reason. I feel like there are things I can say, hopefully things that will strike a cord with readers (like you!) some day. I just have to keep going.
XOXO
The truth is You have a beautiful, engaging voice. Honestly? I don't think in your case that it’s a matter of talent, it more about finding the time to utilize that talent. I don’t know any mother who doesn’t struggle with having enough time to do the things they have to do, let alone the things they want to do. Time will help with that. Kids grow, they become more independent … so even though it might not seem like it now time really is on your side.
ReplyDelete*blushes* Awh, thank you Julie. :) It's a rough one, ya know? I would love to have more time to write right now, but I would never wish this phase of my life away. I know they'll grow faster than I'd like. I think the powers that be are just giving me this time to learn some patience and perfect my craft. At least that's what I'm telling myself.
ReplyDeleteBut thank you for your confidence in me. I appreciate it and it means more than you'd know. Sometimes, when I'm feeling low, it pays to know I have all of you girls in my corner. :)