I don’t want to be a writer anymore. Why should I bleed on paper just for some editor’s red pen to bleed all over it? My ideas aren’t that good and no one ever reads my work. No publisher’s ever going to like it. Besides, it’s giving me tendinitis. No, I’m done with writing. I’m going to find a career with a steady income and consistent job description.
A supportive tone produces better results.
I didn’t learn how to drive till I was in my 30’s. My parents did not want me to learn when my classmates got their permits. Old school. Then, I just kept putting it off.
When I sat behind the steering wheel with my husband at my side, I soon realized it wasn’t the best idea. Having been a driver for years my husband just wanted me to do it.
The next day my new teacher, a close friend confirmed I had made the right choice. She had the voice I needed to hear. My friend praised every effort I made. When I write I hear her voice, “That’s better, I knew you could do it.”
A fellow writer tweeted that she deleted 16 pages because she didn’t like the direction her novel was headed. You could hear the sense of accomplishment in her words. My heart stopped (ok, not literally).
In a few months I’m releasing my first book, a memoir titled Packing Light: Thoughts on Living Life with Less Baggage. One of the difficulties I encountered while writing was: how am I supposed to tell my story in an honest way, while still protecting the people and relationships involved?
I don’t think I’m alone in this dilemma.
You have a story you’re afraid to write.
You know the one I’m talking about. The big one. The dangerous one. The one you’ve been putting off. The one you just don’t have time for.
Do you want to grow? The only way to get better at your craft is to keep going even when things get hard.
