If you work on deadlines, either from
your employer, client, or self-imposed, you have probably figured out
your “racing” style. You may be best writing under pressure,
forced to open up the creative muse with mere minutes left to submit
your work. You may have learned that kind of pressure puts you at a
complete standstill. Writer SK Walker said on my Facebook
page recently, “This is creativity, not boxing chocolates on a
conveyor belt”. So instead of the pressuring procrastination, you
keep a slow and steady pace, arriving at your deadline rested and
on-time. I'm not here to say what is best, I'm here to remind you to
discover what works best for you.
I recently finished up a “bootcamp”
program at my local YMCA. It involved some running,
in the almost brutal North Texas heat. The last day was the big
hoo-rah, as we were scheduled to take a 4 mile run. I think about 100
people had signed up for the class 6 weeks prior; there were 10 of us
for that final run.
Although I hadn't made it to every run,
I felt pretty confident that I could make it through. Now, I didn't
think I was going to set any records, but that wasn't my goal. I just
wanted to say I made it. Throughout the run, I found myself smack dab
in the middle, and giving me time to think about the writing journey:
Your only competition
is yourself
- This can be a tough one. You may have a friend who is racking up jobs left and right, while you are still struggling to get your first acceptance. You may feel pretty confident about the sales of your new book, but there will always be someone else selling more. It's difficult not to place yourself on this competitive continuum, and react accordingly. Unfortunately, that can leave you in a manic state-- either ecstatic or depressed depending on how you feel you compare to others.
- When you are in a state of constant comparison, you are allowing others to determine how YOU are doing. This is not entirely fair or accurate. Just because someone else has succeeded does not mean that you have failed, just as someone losing out doesn't make you a winner.
You are not in a race against everyone
else. You are only on a mission to create the best you that you can
be. Compare your current writing against the work you did last year.
Step back and analyze the steps you took to complete your last
project-- the one you rushed to finish at the end to meet a deadline:
did that give you a creative push, or did it cause the work to
suffer?
Near the end of my recent 4-mile run, I
could see the expert runners already stretched out and heading to
their cars to drive home, and I could look back and see some others
walking, still quite a ways from finishing. Everybody has their own
journey. When I made it back to the finish line, I was proud of my
accomplishment. I kept moving forward, even about a quarter of the
way through when my feet, calves, and hamstrings were all fighting
against me. It didn't matter that I didn't complete the run with the
athletes up front-- maybe someday, if I decided to keep working on
it. But that day, I ran (ok, jogged) the best I could, and for that,
I am thankful.
Because I didn't just start, I finished!
Happy Writing!
Tina, What a terrific post! Thank you for writing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mara!
ReplyDeleteExcuse Editor! I never thought there exist a blog that can eliminate most of my writing blocks, and now I can say I was wrong. This blog did help me overcome many of my writing fears. Thanks Tina for such a wonderful blog. Especially few posts seemed to be directed towards me personally! This is where your Blog stands out I can say.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, I would like to see you write about the inner voice which everyone of us have that constantly keeps saying, "Your writing is not good." And ultimately sees you keep away from your writing. At least, that's my worst nightmare.
Great Going... Keep Going...