I belong to several different writers’ groups. Some people might think I suffer from a form of overkill. But I believe each group offers a different perspective on the writing life, and that I can benefit from them all as I seek to achieve my dream of SUCCESS as an author.
One group is made up of seven women, “girls who just wanna have fun.” We have been collectively writing a novel, one chapter at a time, one writer at a time … for three long years! The challenge is to create a plot that makes sense because it threatens to leave the main road and shoot off in uncharted territory with each new author. The problem? There is no PLAN. Why? Because the members thought that planning would detract from the enjoyment of simply going with the flow and seeing what comes out. As you may guess, what has “come out” is like the soufflé in the movie, Sabrina: Too flat, too uneven, and considerably underdone.
Another group of which I am a member is the Phoenix Publishing and Book Promotion meet-up group. I joined them because I thought they could help me to reach my GOAL of becoming a published author. As I gained confidence in my ability to write, it became increasingly clear that I had no knowledge of how to achieve my secret AMBITION––to become recognized by readers by effectively marketing my work.
This group has helped me to get a step closer to turning my DREAM into a reality. But I fear that I am not DOING enough to make that happen. Life is always getting in the way.
The leader of the group, Laura Orsini, recently posted the above reminder by Bryant McGill on our Facebook page. It summed up perfectly what I have been struggling with for the past five years, perhaps (truth be told) my entire life: THINKING and PLANNING and DREAMING have always taken precedence over actual DOING, primarily because I––like many people, I surmise––have an inordinate FEAR OF FAILURE.
To write a short story or a novel, then to send it to a magazine or a publisher or an agent, seems like an exercise in futility, because all the experienced writers tell me that I have about a point-zero-zero-zero-one (or less) chance of success. And frankly, I don’t have enough years of life left to accomplish that. My writer friends say that self-publishing is the only route to take to get one’s work in front of potential readers. Of course, they also tell me that they rarely, if ever, earn back the expense of self-publishing their books.
To paraphrase the late Richard Nixon, I always say, “I am not a COOK!” But I can create a PRODUCT (a piece of writing), a GOAL (a written quantifiable objective), and a PLAN (a to-do list complete with target dates). Now, all that remains is to DO it, and SUCCESS will follow.
Loralai
March 26, 2016 at 9:56 amSorry to hear the novel is too flat, uneven and considerably underdone. What can we do to change that? I have great faith in your writing. You are amazing! You just don’t believe in yourself. Perhaps hearing it from the Phoenix group will convince you . Follow your dream. Go for it!
mestepanich
March 27, 2016 at 12:47 amI was simply using the example from the Sabrina movie, Loralai, for a laugh. However, I do think our group novel is sometimes uneven and underdone. There are places where we could write much more than we did, so the reader can “see” what we writers see in our minds. Sometimes, it seems we are also avoiding delving into deep character feelings, perhaps because the seven of us have different feelings about the characters. Duh!
Ruth Gieser
March 26, 2016 at 8:30 pmYou can do it
sheila lester
March 28, 2016 at 5:03 pmI knew I liked you for a reason. I’m the world’s best PRO-crastinator. I make many, many plans but when it comes time to carry them out, I sit, or stand, or lean toward doing the deed(s), but so often leave the ideas to languish in the perpetual planning stage.
Adelina
March 28, 2016 at 11:15 pmKeep at it, ME–you ARE a talented writer! And…
I can certainly relate to Bryant McGill’s reminder. I am forever THINKING about and PLANNING to workout regularly, but fall way short of the DOING so that my AMBITION & GOAL to attain a well-toned body will forever be just a pipe DREAM. :-/
shermie
March 29, 2016 at 7:38 pmYOU WILL ALWAYS BE ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITERS. I ACTUALLY DO READ YOUR WRITTINGS AND ENJOY THEM ALL. THAT IS MORE THAN I CAN SAY ABOUT MY OTHER FAVORITES – WHICH HAVE FALLEN BY THE WAYSIDE. YOU ALWAYS PUT A POSITIVE SPIN AND HUMOR IN EVEN THE SADDEST OF EVENTS. YOU SHOW THAT THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE.
YOUR 3 DAYS IN THE HOUSE WITH A CONSTUCTION CONE IN YOUR DRIVE WAY – DID WONDERS.
Connie Cushing
April 25, 2016 at 7:11 pmOh, ME. I cringed when I read what you out wrote, however, I have been thinking the same thing–our tome does fall flat. I keep wondering who I really care about, the many roads we are taking, and feel like a retooling is necessary. It has been such a fun ride with fun ladies, but where do we go from here? Your Lilac Crazy ladies were fun to watch at Dottie’s event and her presentation was very captivating. I’m so happy she sold so many of her books. I look forward to reading your blog each time you post.