Every time I write a book, I have to get my brave on.
Some of you are probably chuckling, wanting to ask: Oh, come on, Beth! What’s so scary about writing a novel?
All of it.
- Figuring out what the book is about.
- Developing the characters.
- The first page.
- The messy middle.
- The end — oh, my word! The end! Do you know that it often takes me three or four tries to land the end of a novel?
I love being a creative — and then there are times I hate being a creative because I have to walk in the valley of the shadow of “can I do this again?” “This” being am I willing to immerse myself in the start-to-finish process of writing a novel — all of it. The days when I know what I’m doing — and the days when I don’t. The days when my characters stick to the pre-plotted storyline — and the days that they don’t. The days when I remember I love what I do — and the anguish-filled days when I don’t. (They’re more like mopey days, but hey, I’m a creative.)
On the “I don’t” days, I have to be brave and carry on. Keep writing. Keep living the life of a creative even if the muse has left the building. I don’t quit — although there have been times when quitting sounded appealing. Quitting is for, well, quitters. And brave people don’t throw in the, um, laptop.
In Your Words: Thanks for joining me for that little pep talk. Tell me, what helps you get your brave on when you’re not feeling courageous?
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Comments 11
Hmmm, good question. Sometimes it’s my commitment to others who believe in me (even in those periods when I may not). It’s also my commitment to myself re. goals I’ve set and want to see where they’ll go if I give them my all. Best of all, the journey itself and the friends along the way are a big part of the prize!
Author
Yes, Dee — others believing in me when I do not can make a huge difference when I’m not feeling brave but still need to be creative. And my commitment to myself — and my commitment to my publisher. 🙂
Thanks for your honesty, Beth. I need to put on brave to push the publish button on blog posts. I can’t imagine how hard it is to publish a book. But when fear threatens my voice, I remember God’s previous encouragements through others and His Word and I press on–I press the button. I’m struggling to put on the brave in editing manuscripts and submitting them for critiques. I need to put on a bit more brave–for sure.
Blessings ~ Wendy Mac
Author
Wendy:
Oh, yes, I put my brave on for blog posts, too! All kinds of writing. And God’s encouragement is the best. <3
I did quit writing, actually. Having had the opportunity to see myself through others’ eyes, and to see what a true failure my life really was, I realized that I had no place to go, no message to impart that wasn’t at best empty, and at worst a kind of posturing. So I quit.
Does that make me a quitter, and something of a lesser person? Of course; the choice was mine. No matter how sudden and harsh the judgements came, I should have stood up to them. I chose the path of least resistance, and turned my back on what future may still have been because I didn’t want to fight those things any more.
I’m not writing this to elicit sympathy, or to beg encouragement; I’m writing because I made an obvious mistake, and that was letting people get to me at a low point in my life, and that because I respected these individuals I took their words to heart.
I should have told them to **** off, and that no one ever built a monument to a critic, anyway.
Author
Andrew, my friend, how can you say you quit writing when your blog posts are such an encouragement to so many?
Beth, thanks…but Barbara’s writing the posts now. I don’t know when or if I’ll ever have the heart to do another.
Still working out, though.
Sometimes, what helps me get my brave on is the end result–the hope that God’s given me. When I feel like writing is too hard one day, I think about the indicators God’s given me of a future hope. When I’m not sure how to move beyond where I am, I talk with a friend who knows how to help me pull up my big girl pants and get back to work. Who helps me see the bigger picture, rather than staying stuck on the momentary setback.
Author
I have to agree, Jeanne.
God helps me be brave because, really, it all comes down to who He says I am.
And yes, the encouragement of family and friends who know me best help me suit up, too!
Even on those days when I ask myself whatever made me think I could do this again, I’d still rather be writing than anything else. or I’d quit. 🙂
Author
Amen to that. And even when I’m getting my brave on, I feel the same way. It’s funny, isn’t it???