I've had several friends over the last little bit tell me - You're so far ahead of me!!
I laugh every time I hear this because I don't think there's any such thing.
My goals are VERY different from a lot of other writers. I think MOST of us have very different goals as writers, so what makes one person "ahead" of another?
Is it the number of books out?
If you have an agent or not?
(Cause not everyone wants an agent - there are plenty of mid-sized publishers who don't require one - I'd STILL recommend it b/c of MY experience, but it's not for everyone)
Is it the size of agency your agent belongs to?
Is it the size of the pub house?
Is it how many different places have published one of your books?
How many books you've sold?
Here's the thing. My goal is VERY, very simple. (Well, in my mind) Now that I'm about to write it out, it might not be as simple as I was thinking.
I LOVED teaching high school and middle school. LOVED. I wouldn't trade those years for anything. And I can see myself going back to coach track or do theater, but not to teach. I'd love to make just enough money writing that we could actually save money. Or maybe take a small family vacation every couple of years. I don't expect that my life will ever drastically change because I'm a published author.
The ALMOST most important thing to me is getting my stories out there, but if that were truly the most important then I'd just be self-pubbing as soon as I finish each one, and I'm obviously not doing that.
I'd love to keep writing LDS novels and selling them to all my momo peeps and the people who think it's fun to read about us crazy Mormons.
I'd love to write some books to have on ebook only.
And yes. I'd love to sell at least a few books in my life to larger publishers.
But I'd also like to think I have a pretty relaxed attitude about the whole thing. (Kelley Vitollo is laughing right now because I dump my neurosis on her often)
I have an agent who is a riot and a half to work with - whose phone calls and little <3 crack me up.
She JUST got me a two-book deal with an epublisher that I'm WAY excited about, I have an LDS publisher who has taught me SO much about the publishing industry, and books on sub that I hope to have news on soon.
So, yeah. My writing life is good.
And this is seriously the MOST CLICHE thing ever, but it really, honestly, seriously, is NOT about the destination. It's about the process. Our life is about the process. Everything we do is SO much more about what we get from the journey than what we get when we reach our destination.
(and yes, if this were on a t-shirt, I'd roll my eyes and make fun)
What I'm really trying to say here is : relax. it'll happen. enjoy whatever's going on in your life right now, OR at least realize there's something to be learned from it. I couldn't even BEGIN to tell you how many rejections I've gotten - whether from agents or publishers, but there are a LOT. It's all part of it. And it's all worth it for the ones that say - Yes. We love your story.
What are you learning right now in your writing life - no matter where you are in the process?
Because I know I need constant reminders that I'm supposed to be enjoying the journey, not just looking to whatever's coming up next.
~ Jolene
PS I'm guesting over at Jen's UNEDITED today!!
29 comments:
Great perspective. Thanks! It is a journey and sometimes we need to remember to enjoy it.
Yes. Me too. Thanks for that. I imagine it's also a lot easier to be patient when you're enjoying the ride. I can only imagine because I haven't quite got the hang of it.
Great post! I'm in your same mindset. No, I don't have an agent *yet*. No I don't have any book sales *yet*. But I'm doing what i love and I HAVE to believe that if I keep working on it, keep improving myself, I WILL get there.
And, oh my gosh, am I enjoying this journey :)
I think right now I'm learning that given my tight schedule, I have to make sacrifices here and there if I want to get my work done on time. At the same time, I can't force myself to become a recluse. I need to live a little too.
Great post!
Nice post, Jolene!
In some ways you're certainly ahead of me - I haven't even really queried anything yet. :D - but I'm okay with that. I'm enjoying the journey and I'm making sure that when I am ready to query, my works are actually...ready to query! ;)
Even if I don't ever get an agent or a book deal, I'll self publish. For me really it's about getting my work out there for others to read. I have a good "day job" that I don't intend to give up, so just sharing my works would be enough for me. :)
In yoga they say relax in the moment of your pain...this expression has saved my life over many times.
One of my mains reasons for writing besides that I just love creating stories, is that I want to share them. I want people to read them and (hopefully) love them and enjoy them.
I agree with the journey being the reward, although it can be hard not to hone in on the destination!
This is true! It's something I forget a lot, but I really need to enjoy here and now, rather than always looking to the future.
I'm just hoping my sanity stays in tact while I enjoy the process, lol. But I love what writing has done for my life so far, and I've only just begun. (Haha, totally sang that, so you have to too)
Here's to hoping the process includes getting published! And keeping what's left of my mind on the way! :)
Wonderful post. With my son, I've learned to enjoy the moment more than anything else and it reflects in my writing. I've also learned that since I have limited time to write, I need to use some plotter techniques to keep things in order.
<3 <3 <3 this!
Jolene, you're so far ahead of me! LOL. I love your words... you bring such perspective and light to so many different topics. Plain and simple, you rock. ;)
Holy insightfullness!! LOL. YOu are my hero.
Yes, I laughed at that one part.
Also, I'm quoting you! You know how I love quotes and you are now on my list of people I collect quotes from :)
Soooo....I guess my journey's gone on a little too long, then? Bc I'd really, really like to get out of this car. ;))
Seriously, I'm with you. Learning to slow down is hard. But it makes it so much easier when I know fab people like yourself!
The story that needs to be told isn't necessarily the one I feel like I want to tell.
Slowing down when I write ... I have this tendency to want to reveal too much too soon. I have to hold back some.
The right time to write will never come ... I have to make time for writing. Otherwise my stories may never get told.
Rating myself by comparison to other writers is, well, not something I should do.
Mostly my writing goal is to submit my poetry around and get rejected a lot but hopefully accepted somewhere...and also to finish my wip. It feels like I've blazed through to the halfway point, and this is the point in the marathon where I start panting with exhaustion. Maybe I need to take your advice and just relax... :)
Can I just say that my favorite thing about you is that you blog how you write? And I don't mean how you write books, I mean you blog in this voice that is so distinctly Jo. My goals are less lofty. I'd like to see ONE book in particular in the hands of teens. I'd like to be able to do writing/editing for a living and not feel like I have to justify it. When do we stop worrying that people will ask if we are ever going to get a REAL job?
I can honestly say that I'm enjoying myself right now. I'm struggling with editing, but I'm learning something new. In all the drafts I've written this is the first time I've seriously tried to edit and revise one of my stories. That's progress :-)
I was getting down on myself for "wasting time writing" to my husband. He told me that it would be so impressive if I finished my novel, to which I said, "But it probably won't get published." He told me then that it didn't matter, just doing it in itself was quite an impressive feat. That's what keeps me going- my own little cheerleading section!
Aw - I just love you! Yeah - it's true. For some reason I've been stressin' lately. It's ridiculous. Luckily you've just made me feel better. It really is about the journey and I love the journey. Thanks! :)
Aw - I just love you! Yeah - it's true. For some reason I've been stressin' lately. It's ridiculous. Luckily you've just made me feel better. It really is about the journey and I love the journey. Thanks! :)
I'm a super slow writer. I write when I feel like it. If I force it I end up with unusable junk. If I compared myself to speed writers like you I would get very depressed. I will just hang back and watch you go--like the energizer bunny :)
Enjoying the journey is sometimes harder than it sounds. We have to be actively seeking it. No waiting around for something to happen. When I get down in the dumps it's usually because I'm waiting and not doing.
I LOVE your attitude. The journey for me has been awesome. And just recently I've realized I do want have people read my stories, but I also want them to mean something to ME.
I want to write what I love or what I'm passionate about. What touches my heart, and if it touches someone else's then I have accomplished something.
Great attitude. We do all have different goals. I am sure that you will hear "you are ahead of me.", quite a bit. It is not a race and that is what we need to stay focused on. Enjoy your success. We will all catch up eventually .
Love it Jolene! Way to have a great attitude about everything. I'm working on some stuff for an agent, but not agented...yet. ;)
Great advice! There is SO MUCH to love about the journey!
Loved this post. I continue to write everyday because I love doing it. I love the way words dash across the page and the way my imagination goes wild. I know exactly how you feel!
I love this post, Jolene. LOVE. I love the point that we all have different goals-- so none of us is really "ahead" or "behind." We're all just in the process, whatever our process is.
Thanks for the reminder that this is a journey-- and that we should ENJOY it.
Hey Jolene. I'm a new follower, one my CP's, Cassie Mae told me all about how awesome you are :)
I have to say I totally agree about the destination part. I've set a lot of goals in my life and although it's super fun to get to the end goal the getting there is so rewarding it wouldn't be sastisfying without the work involved. Look forward to your future posts :)
Jade
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