War of Art - Worth the Read

One of the biggest struggles I have as a writer is the feeling of not being good enough.  Why would anyone want to read the things I write when they have so many incredible authors to choose from?  The resistance is real.  My guess is that it will be real for you, too.

Yes, there are countless better authors...and, yes, I will never write the perfect story, but I have a story to tell.  I want to tell that story.  I know in the previous post I talked about stopping the endless reading of "How to Become an Author" books; however, if you relate to what I'm saying, you do need to read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.  I bought the audio book, and I have listened to it multiple times.  Pressfield calls out resistance and gives creatives a pathway to overcome it.

Things I have learned so far:

• Just write - even if it's worthless junk.
• You don't need permission to tell your story.
• Decide how passionate you are about writing your story.  Ask yourself, "What am I willing to give up to do this?"  
• If you answered nothing, you probably don't need to be a writer.
• The story will NOT write itself.  You must be present to win!

I know these are ridiculously obvious, but wait until you are in the midst of trying to write your story.  I guarantee you will need to remind yourself of these things!

Now, get your rear in the chair and write.

Full Steam Ahead - Take the Journey

This blog sat dormant for the last three months.  One day I would open it to delete it.  The next I would decide I would wait until I knew something about writing before sharing with others.  I have struggled to find my place as a Christian in the world of novel writing.  How does it all fit together?

I have decided I either have to get out of the boat or go home.  I took stock of what I know.  I have spent ten years studying how to write a novel, but I have nothing to show for it.  Why?  Because I spent all of my time thinking I needed to read one more book or listen to one more podcast before I could venture into writing a book.  Have you been there?  Stop it.  Enough is enough.  Put the words on the page - good or bad - get them on the page.  That is what I am doing, and I have decided to share the journey with you.  Aspiring writers hear from accomplished authors all the time, but wouldn't it be nice to know you are not alone in trying this for the first time?

Let's do this together.  I would like to know I have company in the journey, so please visit often and share ideas, questions, resources, and encouraging words for each other.  I don't expect this blog to take off over night, but I would love to know that you dropped by via a comment.

And remember...