In keeping with today's photo quote, I fear too many who start writing, or even those who have written for some years, want to skip the small steps and move right into the bigtime arena in this circus we call our writing world.
We're told to set goals, and most of us do. Setting a goal does not mean you'll reach it in a matter of days. We move toward achieving a goal one step at a time. And sometimes, those steps seem mighty small. You feel as if you're inching along when you'd much prefer moving like a jackrabbit.
Patience has always been one of my keywords and probably will stay in that slot as long as I am writing. By nature, I've always been an impatient person. Writing has helped me learn and hone that trait. Not all at once. No, it happened by small steps. I cannot count the times I've had to remind myself to be patient.
I've mentioned here in the past that memoir writers would benefit by writing small snippets of memoir before tackling a full book. Take small steps to reach your goal of writing and publishing a full memoir.
Write short, simple poems before trying those that have myriad verses. Writing short lets you get a feel for writing poetry. Small steps with small poems. You'll know when you're ready to move into longer, more involved works.
The short stories you write are small steps to writing a novel. If the novel is your objective, move slowly with short stories until you feel ready to try the big project.
Your small steps can include learning all you can about the craft of writing. Read books and articles about this skill. There are plenty that have been published for people like us to read. Another small step in your writing journey can be attending workshops and conferences about our craft.
Many small steps will take you where you're headed more steadily than if you attempted to get there with one giant leap.
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