The Writing Life: A Valley of Dread and Delight

If I had to do it all again, I’d still self-publish my first book. But the one thing I would do differently is start writing sooner.

For years, I daydreamed and dabbled in writing. When I finally decided to take writing seriously, I spent hours crafting opening scenes for countless short stories. It was a start, a way of honing my skills.

But whenever I completed that first page, the writing process felt suddenly high-stakes.  

Writing one more sentence could take me one step closer to completing an actual story.

Yet, that very thought made me abandon my story, sometimes mid-sentence.

Then I would resist urge to write for as long as I could. But I inevitably returned weeks or months later only to repeat the same process with a fresh new story. 

I was stuck in the Wanting Zone, always wanting but never making much progress with writing.

Why did I shy away from the very thing I was trying to pursue?

I was afraid of failing. Avoidance offered small comfort. Completing a poorly written story would only confirm my deepest fear.

If you’ve ever experienced the same fear, you understand just how counter-productive it can be.  

The Dread and Delight

The great part about wanting to be an author is that it fills you with hope, that fuzzy feeling that precedes a delightful daydream.

But the torturous part about wanting to be an author is the enduring fear that you’re not that good a writer. It’s a constant battle to silence the inner critic telling you that you’ll never be as good as the best.   

Maybe you will. Or maybe you won’t. But that’s not the point.

Anything worth pursuing will probably fill you with dread and delight.

Yet, it was not only the fear of failing that kept me from writing. I was also afraid of entering the valley of learning.

The Valley of Learning

Like any other skill, writing requires patience and persistence. You need time to discover and define your writing DNA: your strengths, untapped talents, goals, values and your voice.

There really is an undiscovered world within each of us. As a writer, it may feel like you have a multitude of galaxies waiting to be explored or turned into a story.

Then there are the technical aspects of writing to master: the mechanics of punctuation, the many rules of sentence structure, the nuts and bolts of engaging storytelling, and so much more.

Becoming a successful author is more than just dreaming and dabbling. It’s a hero’s journey through the valley of learning.

But it’s not as scary as it sounds. If you know what to expect and you have the right tools at the right time, the journey becomes more easeful and enjoyable. That’s the delightful part.

Being equipped with the right tools gives you the best chance of success as an author.

Having the right resources will get you moving through the valley of learning with greater confidence and less fear.

The Writer’s Toolkit

In my adventures in writing, the survival tools that helped me the most fall into the following five categories:

1.      Health and Wellness

2.      Time Management

3.      Writing Craft

4.      Brainstorming and Writing

5.      Revising and Editing

The first step to becoming a good writer is to identify the tools that work best for you and use them effectively. You’ll need to create your own toolkit of survival tools, which will make your journey much easier.

In future posts, I’ll be discussing some of these tools. So be sure to stop by.

What about your journey so far? Are you dreaming, dabbling, wanting, writing, publishing or contemplating?

Please share in the comments below. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

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© Christene Campbell at Cozy Caribbean Fiction