“My goal is to become a published author in the next five years.”
I tapped out those words in a text before I realized what I was doing. It was the proverbial apple falling on my head, and although I immediately thought, Wait...five years? Can I do that? The realization that came shortly thereafter was: Yes, I can. And I will.
How am I so certain? How did I get to this point? I conceived the idea for the novel I’m working on in 2007, nine years ago. I wrote four chapters in as many years, picking it up occasionally and setting it down again. I wrote when I felt inspired, and I felt inspired hardly ever.
In college, I met a few other aspiring writers like me, full of ideas but not much follow-through. I picked up writing again, and got through two more chapters. I refined ideas, but I barely wrote.
Then, last year, a miracle happened. A friend texted me and asked if I would like to be writing buddies. She and I had talked about writing before, and we were both passionate about it. The difference was, she was pursuing it. I had given up on chasing my writing years before, and had never truly realized it. I was an object at rest, unwilling and unable to move forward.
Sir Isaac Newton’s first law of motion states:
“An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.”
Here was my unbalanced force (a really awesome one), willing me—daring me—to move. I decided in that moment that it wasn’t too late to pursue my dream. Vehemently, I said yes.
Today, after months of disciplined chapter submissions and discussions with a really patient writing buddy, I finally decided on the title for my first novel. The title. Months of world-building and plot-organizing, 115,000 words of chapter-writing, and countless hours of commiserating later, I still have such a long way to go. But now I am in motion.
Five years. I’ve written it down now, so it’s as good as set in stone. Step one is still clear: Finish writing. The subsequent steps like networking, pitching the book to agents, deciding between self-publishing or traditional publishing...those are secondary right now. Finish writing. All excuses and complaints to procrastinate go out the window now. Every week I must write, edit, revise, or plot. I’ve planned out my summer not in terms of days and weeks, but by scenes and chapters. Finish writing. When I need a break, I’ll read, listen to podcasts, and discuss ideas with other aspiring writers. Then, I will write.
I’ve set myself on a schedule. By August, I will have a draft ready for alpha readers (being a few interested friends, family, and other aspiring writers) to critique. With this feedback, I will revise and edit meticulously, every week, until May 2017. In the meantime, I will save some money in preparation for next year’s DFW Writers Conference. Then, come high water or a basket of apples overturned on my head, I will continue moving forward!
I tapped out those words in a text before I realized what I was doing. It was the proverbial apple falling on my head, and although I immediately thought, Wait...five years? Can I do that? The realization that came shortly thereafter was: Yes, I can. And I will.
How am I so certain? How did I get to this point? I conceived the idea for the novel I’m working on in 2007, nine years ago. I wrote four chapters in as many years, picking it up occasionally and setting it down again. I wrote when I felt inspired, and I felt inspired hardly ever.
In college, I met a few other aspiring writers like me, full of ideas but not much follow-through. I picked up writing again, and got through two more chapters. I refined ideas, but I barely wrote.
Then, last year, a miracle happened. A friend texted me and asked if I would like to be writing buddies. She and I had talked about writing before, and we were both passionate about it. The difference was, she was pursuing it. I had given up on chasing my writing years before, and had never truly realized it. I was an object at rest, unwilling and unable to move forward.
Sir Isaac Newton’s first law of motion states:
“An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.”
Here was my unbalanced force (a really awesome one), willing me—daring me—to move. I decided in that moment that it wasn’t too late to pursue my dream. Vehemently, I said yes.
Today, after months of disciplined chapter submissions and discussions with a really patient writing buddy, I finally decided on the title for my first novel. The title. Months of world-building and plot-organizing, 115,000 words of chapter-writing, and countless hours of commiserating later, I still have such a long way to go. But now I am in motion.
Five years. I’ve written it down now, so it’s as good as set in stone. Step one is still clear: Finish writing. The subsequent steps like networking, pitching the book to agents, deciding between self-publishing or traditional publishing...those are secondary right now. Finish writing. All excuses and complaints to procrastinate go out the window now. Every week I must write, edit, revise, or plot. I’ve planned out my summer not in terms of days and weeks, but by scenes and chapters. Finish writing. When I need a break, I’ll read, listen to podcasts, and discuss ideas with other aspiring writers. Then, I will write.
I’ve set myself on a schedule. By August, I will have a draft ready for alpha readers (being a few interested friends, family, and other aspiring writers) to critique. With this feedback, I will revise and edit meticulously, every week, until May 2017. In the meantime, I will save some money in preparation for next year’s DFW Writers Conference. Then, come high water or a basket of apples overturned on my head, I will continue moving forward!