Now I've Done It

So if I haven't mentioned it, I'm in the process of writing a book. That's a weird thing to say. It actually sounds a little cliché and cheesy, reading it back. Oh well. It’s not done, and I have no guarantees that anyone will want to publish it - but I'm still writing a book.

To that end I've been taking on an online workshop geared at helping me with the process of getting this thing done. I have never taken an online course like this, and its definitely an exercise in dedication and focus. It is really, really easy to get distracted and not get assignments in on time. Its also weird to get feedback and not really be able to discuss it. The instructor reads my stuff, writes me feedback, and then we move on. The good news is that when I find myself wanting to argue or defend something I submitted, its not really an option. I have to just take what she says, decide what within it I want to use, and then move forward. Tough to do sometimes, but good to practice.

My goal right now is to have a draft of this thing ready to start submitting by the end of the year. I've realized that to do that, I'm going to have to seriously step up my devotion and the time I spend writing. And its pretty scary to lay down a goal like this. I've never written a whole entire book, worked through revisions and drafts, asked for readers - all that stuff. I know how to do it on paper (ha) but now I've committed (and said it out loud, and here for all to read) and its all about action. Exciting, yes. Scary, yes. The fear of failure is pretty real and intense, whether the failure is driven by me not completing it or no one wanting to publish it.

But I can only control what I can control - so I can finish it. I will finish it. And believing in that is a good place to start.