When Writing Think Small?! What Are You NUTS?!? Part 5 of 9

Okay everyone get ready we’re off to the amazon to hunt of the elusive 30 foot Amazonian boa constrictor. It normally hides on the jungle floor, I suspect it’s warmer there. It’s a rather large snake, and really it only eats birds and small animals, and Stop that! it’s just a small snake, and we’ll be perfectly safe, I can assure you of this, and bear in mind we’re not going in the water. There might be some more varied type of crocodiles and snakes in there. But we can also look for vipers if you like. Okay, come back here! if you run away the vipers might bite! If you want we can look for monkeys would that make you feel better?

There are days when writing is like trying to find a snake in a jungle. You’ll probably find one, but you won’t enjoy the results. For some, going to sit at the computer is tantamount to that. You want to write, to be published gain some credibility in the writing community. Yet you can’t, there is something about the book that isn’t going well, or you’ve tried your hand at some other type of writing, journaling.

I love the art of writing in journals, it is inexpensive and you can”let” lose, a simple notebook will do, and best of all it’s a rather private exercise. Often my journals don’t make a lot of sense, except to me, but they include some basic thing, date, what I did, and most important my observations and feelings. if you haven’t done so already get yourself a journal.

For most people, non-writers included, this is a fun if not enjoyable exercise. For others it’s a thing they start but never finish. They hit a wall. They simply run out of time, or don’t care to write, or the list goes on. Many writers tell me that writing in their journal is the release they need. Or blogging, or drawing or painting. The reality is that you can’t simply worry about what you’re writing, except “that” piece. Oh, well you reply, I could write it it’s just that I don’t have ( insert reason/excuse/apology here). I think, in my humble opinion, that it is the fear of the unknown. We know that our writing in journals is private, and that no one will look, and for blogs, it’s safe medium, we write about things that interest us, and our passion.

It’s the poems, the books, the short stories we fear. Sure it’s a job, but there is always that fear of rejection, the fear that our passions will not be enjoyed. Almost like a fear of snakes. I’ve never had a problem with small snakes, in fact they are kind of cute. I went to the local aquarium, which has a large snake (before you all get mad, it’s been there for more than 50 years.) at any rate, the staff had changed the layout of the area, and the snake had just a small thin plastic barricade designed to keep humans from getting to close, but should this huge snake decide it wanted me for lunch… well, I hope my running is up to snuff.

For many writers, the thought of publishing is like that as well, They fear it so they edit and edit and edit, and years later it’s not done, it still needs to be edited. Forgive me, but after nearly ten years of editing, it’s done. It won’t get any better, and I’d spend the next ten years polishing my query letter. Or getting marketing skills or get it self-published to make some money. If you’re worried Journal about it, blog about. write about it. That won’t get published, unless you want it to be, and you could always self-publish your findings.

Publish your work, write your work, think small one day at a time, one hour, or one minute if need be. You have the power to complete it, and the power to publish it.

My Question you today is this: What do you fear most about writing? (Is it the editing left undo or the writing process or publishing to the world?)