Perseverance Pays Off

I promised some writing exercises to begin today, but I'm going to postpone a day. Instead, I'd like to let you know about a writing project that proved difficult for me. Perseverance paid off with a published article. 

I've written about trying to write a personal essay about the WWII Rhone American Cemetery we visited in France during the summer of 2010. I knew I wanted to write about our visit, but when I got home,, the essay I hoped for just would not come. I couldn't pinpoint the feelings I'd had there. I tried, put it away, tried again. Finally sent it to my online crit group. They pointed out that something was missing. Well, I knew that! It's why I asked for help. To be fair, they did highlight things that were missing, and they did urge me to keep working on it as it could be a worthwhile essay eventually.

I read it over and over and finally ended up filing it in the To Be Worked On folder where it stayed for many months. In mid-summer of this year, I pulled it out and worked on it again. This time, it came out more like I'd wanted it to the first gazillion times I tried to write it. I sent it to the editor of 

The Best Times and she accepted immediately for their November issue which would be dedicated to Veterans. She asked for some pictures which I sent later. 

You can read the essay here. It received a full page along with two pictures. I'm so glad that I didn't leave the piece to gather dust in that folder filled with things I need to work on. It's a story I wanted to share with others and so I persevered. Those who read my blog frequently know that my two keywords for the writing world are Patience and Perseverance. I'm not sure how patient I was, but the second keyword paid off. 

If you have a project you're having trouble with, don't give up. Keep at it. Maybe not on a constant basis. Bring it out every now and then. It may look quite different to you after you've been away from it. The biggest problem can suddenly be flooded with the light of a new dawn. 

Keywords For Writers That Work

It was only a year ago that the picture above was taken in  a picturesque French village. Ken wasn't as enthused about visiting France as I was, but it turned out to be a good trip for him, as well. I've been mentally reliving the trip these last few days, as it was one of my favorite overseas visits.

My musing was partly because of an essay I wrote about one of the stops that left us both  deeply impressed. The WWII American Rhone Cemetery etched itself onto my heart, where it stayed. I knew I wanted to write about the experience when we returned home. It was one of the first stories I started, even before we'd drifted through the several days of jet lag. The emotion I felt in the open air chapel still overwhelmed me.

I wrote the story. It just wasn't right. So I waited a few days and tried again. I sent it to writersandcritters, my online critique group. They had some good things to say but also pointed out the many spots that just plain didn't work. I knew they were right. Something was missing. But what? I revised it again and finally threw up my hands in disgust. Into the "to be worked on" file it went. 

The story stayed in that file for many months, but it circled round and round in my mind from time to time. Still, I didn't pull it out and work on it. Finally, a few weeks ago, I opened the file and read the story. Then I started from scratch and rewrote it. Not once, a couple of times. Sent it to wac for a critique. I waited for the red axes to slash through it. 

Wonder of wonders, only a few minor little things were suggested. Even so, I waited a few more days, did a final revision, then sent it to an editor of a senior newspaper in a nearby city. I suggested to her that it might be a good piece for the November issue which would most likely commemorate Veterans Day. She wrote back in record time that the story was perfect for the November issue and then went on to praise the writing. Which, of course, had me floating on a cloud for a few hours afterward.

The point of all this is that we shouldn't give up when a story doesn't work right. Put it away, let it simmer, let your subconscious mind filter ideas. Then work on it again until it's satisfying to you (and to your critique group if you have one). The process for this particular story took close to a full year. That's perfectly alright, even though it gave me a hefty dose of frustration. That old patience and perseverance advice worked well with this one.