With the launch of my debut novel fast approaching, I can’t help reflecting on my writing journey. I started writing when I was nine years old. I very distinctly remember the dark blue notebook I chose to write my “book” in. The story was set on an island in a mystical sea, and about ten pages in, I got overwhelmed by the task and had a tsunami come and wipe everyone out so it could be over. Even as a child, I had a taste for the theatrical.
Fast forward twenty-one years, and there have been so many notebooks, so many hours, so many words, so many moments when I definitely wanted to wrap things up with a tsunami. I went months-long periods when I didn’t write at all, and I went months-long periods where I wrote every single night for hours.
If I had to make sense of it all, had to wrap it up with a pretty bow into a consumable lesson for other writers, it would be the same adage that we’ve all heard a million times over.
Just write.
Write when you’re tired. Write when you’re out of ideas. Write when you’re overwhelmed. Write when you have the time. Write when you don’t have the time. And don’t worry about the days, weeks, months, or even years when the writing lies fallow. When we let go of limiting structures, reject forced ideas of what a writer and their habits look like, and ignore our (or others’) rigid expectations, we can truly begin to find peace and joy in the writing journey.
Don’t mistake me. I have many, many big dreams and goals for myself as a writer. And as I prepare to share my novel with the world, it’s tempting to daydream of bestseller lists and accolades. But whether my books sell a million copies or a hundred, it can’t and won’t change who I am as a writer.
The years of dedication to my craft have already proven to me that I am disciplined, focused, and committed to learning. I love what I do. That’s been a constant.
So, whatever you’re journeying in – whether the pursuit is artistic, athletic, family oriented, or business oriented – know that you will spend more time journeying than arriving. Make sure the journey is one you love.
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