When I started this journey I figured I’d just be sitting there, honing every word and sentence to perfection until I had the book down on paper. But as I’ve been working on my new book I have had to tackle some of the same issues I assume most authors do. Holding a day job, raising a family, and trying to write at the same time can be challenging and it is usually the writing that tends to get left behind.

So I’ve shifted my focus away from that idealized view of the process. I now work with a new theme in mind: “Motion, not Mastery”. The latter part I think is quite clear – I don’t focus on mastering every element of storytelling or perfecting the specific book I’m writing. Instead, I’ve started putting the onus on the former – motion. I’ve considered this word carefully.

I think most of us would normally describe the writing process as some forward motion, slowly but incrementally progressing toward the final, completed book. But I believe that “motion” captures the real essence of the process, at least as it applies to me. As I write I do not always move forwards. Sometimes I slide backward, retrace my steps, or delete whole paragraphs (usually with a slight sense of self-loathing). This used to be very frustrating for me in the past, but I’ve since realized that the important part, for me at least, is to keep the momentum going.

I think this has worked for me for several reasons:

1. Just like exercising, writing consistently turns it into a habit. Making writing a consistent part of my routine has made it easier for me to start each writing session.

2. Focusing on motion instead of mastery has taken the pressure off. It’s okay if everything I write isn’t perfect. I can always edit later.

3. To visualize the motion I track my word count. While the word count in and of itself is not all that important, the ebb and flow of my word count is motivating.

With that said, I should probably get back to writing “The Sunderer Saga“.

#AmWriting #WritingCommunity #WritersLife #WritingTips #WritingMotivation #WriteEveryDay #WritingJourney #WriteOn