More Than Words

I'm a word lover. So are you, I think. I love the nuances of meaning and the subtle connotations. I love word origins and derivations. I love the way they sound rolling off my tongue and the way they look written on the page. I love to string them together to make something magical. I'm guessing you love that too.

So, why then, am I so caught up in numbers so often?

Numbers like blog comments, Facebook likes, page views and followers. Numbers like sales ranks and reviews and ratings, and now the worse yet, Amazon's author ranking.

I feel like I'm living in a Max Lucado storybook where we all get numbers stamped onto our foreheads so we can be sure and now exactly where we stand in comparison to everyone else. I don't even know why these numbers mean so much to me, but it sure is easy to get caught up in them.

I don't like it. I don't like the way it makes me feel.

My self-worth is not defined by an Amazon ranking or the number of comments on a blog post.

My success as a writer is not defined by how many books I've sold. (Maybe in some ways it is, but not in the ways that I am going to use to determine my success.)

I'm finished with those numbers. I am who I am. I've done what I've done. And I think I have a lot to feel good about. So do you.

I'm not paying attention to those nasty numbers anymore. Let's surround ourselves with beautiful words instead.

Strength

Being a writer is not easy. It's hard to find the words to recreate the story living in your heart. It's hard to cut out a little piece of your soul and lay it bare on the page. It's hard to put it out there for the world to mock. It's hard to get rejected over and over again and still keep trying.

Believe me. I know. It can be lonely, frustrating, discouraging and downright heartbreaking.

You have to be strong.

But if there is one thing I've learned in my life, it's that we are stronger together than we are alone. We need each other. We need someone who understands what we are going through. Someone who has been where we are, or is going where we want to go.

So, thank you my writing, blogging, facebooking, tweeting friends. Thank you for being my strength when I struggle. Thank you for sharing your own journey. Thank you for standing with me. I couldn't do it without you!

Making the Most of It

This is the continuation of my Finding Time to Write post last week.

Now I'd like to talk about making the most of the time devoted to writing that you've carved out of your busy life. This could be a discussion about outlining or story structure of overcoming writer's block, but it's not. I want to address how we feel and think about writing. Is it just a hobby? A guilty pleasure? A selfish pursuit? Is it really worth the time?

I suppose those are questions that we have to answer for ourselves. But if you want to succeed as a writer--in whatever way you define success--then you are going to have to take it seriously.

When I first started out, I read in a book on writing (or maybe heard at a conference) that it was important to take yourself seriously as a writer. I took that advice to heart. I told people I was a writer, even before I was close to getting anything published. I kept my writing dreams at the forefront of my mind. Fortunately, I was blessed with supportive family and friends, which I know not all of us have.

Still, there were times when I felt guilty for taking time to write, and when I felt like maybe I was just being selfish, or that all the effort just wasn't really worth it. Heck, I still feel that way sometimes. But in order to achieve your writing hopes and dreams, you must banish these negative and unproductive feelings!

Deiter F. Uchtdorf, a very wise man, said:

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. ,. . .Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty."

No, you are not wasting your time. You are creating something that did not exist before, and that it is inherently worthwhile! You are developing your God-given talents and you are giving service to those who will read your words, even if it's just your family and friends. However, if you take it seriously enough, if you don't let anything stand in your way, it won't be just your family and friends. Who knows? You could write something that changes the world. President Uchtdorf also said:

"Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside."

Yes, there must be balance. Only you can decide what that balance is. But don't let fear or guilt or anything else get in the way of the deepest yearnings of your heart. You can do this. You should do this. No, get out there and do it!

P.S. You can read the entire address from President Uchtdorf here.

Pep Talk!

We all need a pep talk once in a while, don't we? Tomorrow is Write Here in Ephraim. (If you're in the area, you should totally come. It's free and it's going to be fabulous!) It's my first real conference teaching experience. I've been on panels, but having an hour all to myself to try and impart something important about writing is a little daunting.

So, I've been giving myself a pep talk today. I can do this! I know a lot about writing! I can be fun and entertaining! Right? Right? Funny enough, it actually is working. I feel a lot more confident than I did yesterday.

So, here's a pep talk for you, for whatever might be daunting you at the moment. Finishing your WIP, writing a query, submitting, getting started...whatever.

You can do it! You are awesome! Just look at how far you've come already! I believe in you! I know you can succeed!

So there you go. Now go forth and conquer!