Bringing Mae Flowers

Daily writing prompt

What have you been working on?

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I started working on my novel again.

It’s a project that I pick-up and put down so often that I can’t even remember when I first started. Inspiration comes in waves, and it’s easier to find excuses than it is to find motivation. So, year after year, I tell myself that I’ll finish the first draft, then miss my self-imposed deadline. I never was very good at keeping promises to myself.

But, I started writing again.

I don’t write much and I don’t write daily, but I’ve put words on the page more often than not. As the saying goes, progress is progress, so I’m celebrating the small wins. Instead of focusing on the outcome, I’m shifting my focus to the process. Maybe that’s the secret to being an author.

I think I’m afraid of finishing a book.

How many readers do I ask for feedback from? How many times do I edit and revise? When do I query for agents, or do I publish alone? When will I know its ready for the public eye? Or, do I just let it sit in my hard drive? After so many years of dreaming and work, what do you do once it’s done?

I should just focus on the writing.

Telling the tale word by word and line by line. Maybe if I focus on the craft instead of the finished story, I won’t be overwhelmed by what it might become.