In March
of 2011 I started jogging. Despite the occasional illness, injury, and ‘I don’t
wanna,’ I’m still getting out regularly. On one long and rather tedious solo
run, I started making connections between jogging and writing and life.
Get Some Running
Buddies
It helps
to have inspiration. I started jogging with a Couch
to 5K group that met twice a week. Having the regular schedule kept us on
track. The program helped us pace ourselves, starting with short runs and
frequent walks, and working up to a 45 minute run. We also had an experienced
leader to offer advice.
Several
of us continued running together after the program ended. I wouldn’t get out
there as often if people weren’t waiting for me. I’d be tempted to stop early,
if I didn’t have the encouragement of the group. Hey, peer pressure is
powerful! You might as well make it work for you. Plus, it’s more fun to run
with other people.
For
writers, it’s important to find the right peer group for your needs. For many,
this is a critique group. They may be large or small, meet in person or online,
have open or closed membership, get together weekly or monthly or as needed.
Finding a group that suits your needs is invaluable.
Other
writers share goals and deadlines, checking in with a friend daily or weekly to
report progress. There’s that peer pressure again! Even a non-writing friend can
help hold you accountable. (But choose carefully. Most people don't understand
writing or the publishing business and have no idea how long it takes to get
something published. Many people don't even realize that you may never sell a
manuscript. You don't want someone making you feel bad because you haven't
finished and sold your novel within six months.)
Finally,
social groups can provide camaraderie and networking. I live in a small town
with a science and engineering college; I know far more computer geeks than
writers. But by making monthly trips to Albuquerque to attend a writing
meeting, I’ve made many friends who understand what I do. I’ve also made
connections by teaching workshops and guest speaking for groups like Sisters in
Crime. For those who can’t attend in person, online discussion boards,
listserves, and online classes offer information and a sense of connection.
It’s Distance, Not Speed
It really
is about the journey, not how fast you get there. Pace yourself, and enjoy the
journey, or you might burn out along the way. If you can see the end, or at
least imagine the cheering crowds and free food, it might give you the extra
boost you need to keep going. But take time to enjoy the sights, and the
experience will be a lot more fun.
As a
writer, don’t focus so much on the response to your query letters. Sure,
celebrate successes, and try to learn from disappointments, but put most of
your energy into enjoying the journey. (That works for the rest of life, too.)
Robin LaFevers had a post at Writer Unboxed about keeping creative
play in your writing.
But Keep Moving
A slow
pace may get you there, but if you have a long way to go, you might as well do
it running. A marathon will take a lot longer at a stroll than at a jog, even a
slow jog. Run when you can, walk when you need a rest, but keep moving. That’s
the only way to reach the end.
Take the
time you need to learn and practice your writing craft. Do as many drafts as
you need to polish your novel. Don’t rush, but do keep working. Write a page a
day, and you’ll have a complete draft in a year. It may not be perfect, but it
will be more than what you started with.
Practice Makes Perfect, or At Least Lessens the Pain
If you’re training, you need to get out regularly. Running once a month will just leave you sore and frustrated each time, and you won’t see any progress in your fitness.
It’s the same with writing. Establishing habits and sticking to them will keep your mind fit. Writing several times a week will hone your skills and make it easier to get started next time.
Beware of Shortcuts
If I map out a 5K run, but take every shortcut, that could cut the distance down to 3 1/2K. Easier, sure, but that won’t prepare me for running a 10K. It’s the same with life. Whether you’re trying to switch careers, meet the right man or woman, or finish a novel, some shortcuts may help, but others may do more harm than good.
I work
with a lot of writing students. The beginners want to know if they’ll get
published after taking one course. Nobody wants to spend 10 years learning how
to write, but you need to do the work in order to earn the reward at the end.
If you beg your friend to send your rough draft to her editor, you’ll blow your
chance to make the best use of that connection. If you self publish your work
before it’s ready, you’ll waste time that could be better spent working on your
craft.
Sometimes
the long, hard path is the only one that gets you where you want to go.
Push Yourself Sometimes
With
enough practice, you should get better. When I started jogging, it was a
struggle to go for 10 minutes without a break. Six months later, I could make
it through 45 minutes without stopping.
And then
I plateaued. Jogging had become comfortable, if not easy. Why cause more pain
by trying to go farther or faster?
Because that’s the only way to get better. And most
likely, it’s the only way to stay interested. Fortunately, one of my jogging
partners is great about coming up with new workouts. We add in some sprints one
day, do hills another day. We choose different routes on different terrains.
Variety keeps it interesting, which makes it easier to work hard.
With my
writing, I find that I get bored if I become too comfortable with something.
After publishing a dozen children’s books as Chris
Eboch, I wanted a change. I began writing romantic suspense for adults,
using the name Kris Bock. This brought
new challenges – writing books two or three times as long as what I was used
to, exploring romantic subplots, delving deeper into character. I didn’t always
get things right the first time, but I became a better writer – and I renewed
my interest in writing.
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