A member of my critique group sent a very simple list of her writing goals for this year. She said she was going to concentrate on the joy of writing and not berate herself over not doing enough of it.
It made me stop and think about that positive joyfulness that comes when we're doing something that pleases our mind and soothes our soul. When I'm inspired and writing a story, I'm happy. Oh sure, I hit the frustration button now and then if it isn't coming out the way I'd hoped or I can't find the right words to say what I mean. But the act of writing makes me happy.
It doesn't matter if there are dishes on the counter waiting to be put in the dishwasher, or if the dryer is buzzing at me. I don't care if the weather outside is dismal. I'm in my own world when I'm writing, a world that offers me a pleasant retreat from my everyday existence.
I know that I will have to attend to those chores sooner or later, and I may have to go to the grocery store in a driving rain, but while I'm writing, none of that matters.
I find joy in putting words together that my be of some beneftit to others. Whether it be as information or entertainment, the sentences, paragraphs and stories I create can be a positive in someone else's life. I've received comments from readers that tell me that is so. That makes me happy, too.
When you write a particularly eloquent sentence or paragraph, does it give you pleasure? I hope so. We have thousands and thousands of words at our disposal, but it's up to us, as writers, to put them together in the very best way, and when we do an especially good job, it's a joy.
The next time you are having trouble with a story, poem or article, stop a minute and look at the bigger picture. Remind yourself that there is joy in writing. Sometimes it may slip to the bottom of the pile, but you can reach down and bring it to the top like the cream on milk bottles of old. There is most definitely joy in writing, and like my friend, I plan to remind myself of that fact on a regular basis this year.
Thanks Nancy for eloquently expressing how I feel. Have you been riffling around in my mind, spying on me?
ReplyDeleteNo Kathryn, I read your goals that you sent to wac, and it made me start thinking. Sometimes we work so hard at writing that we forget that we should get some joy out of it, so thanks for the reminder.
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