There are certain areas of my life where I tend to let fear hold me back. Can you relate? One of those areas is story writing (I know—that must sound crazy coming from the girl whose first book will be published this summer), but it’s true. I have hundreds of story ideas floating around in my brain, but I am hesitant to write them down. Why? Because my mind goes only so far in developing them before a voice in my head tells me they’re no good. So why not just write them down anyway? you might ask. Well, if you read my blog post “Why Write Now?”, you remember that my time is very limited—so much so that I’m afraid of wasting it. I don’t want to spend time writing a story if it’s not going to be good. So, I file the idea away in my brain for another day and, sadly, most of my ideas eventually fizzle into nothing. Gone forever.
But I recently came across the above quote by American author Jodi Picoult, and it really got me thinking. She’s so right. If my ideas are bad, I can work with that. I can edit them. I can shape them into something better—maybe even into something good. But I can’t do that if I never get them written down. You can’t improve upon that which you have not yet begun.
There are many blank pages in life waiting to be written—waiting for me . . . and for you . . . to write them.
The same is true for other areas of life. Try cooking, for example. How can we improve upon a recipe if we don’t first make the meal? How can we become better gardeners if we don’t plant a seed? How can we become better singers if we don’t exercise our vocal cords? How can we become better seamstresses if we don’t sew anything? You get the idea.
So, in pondering all this, I reached three conclusions:
- It’s not time wasted if I enjoy it.
Should I sit around and write all day? No. (That’s not to say you shouldn’t. If you have the time and desire, go for it!) I would if I could, but I am not in a situation to do that unless I want to neglect other important tasks and responsibilities in my life. But talents and hobbies are an important way to unwind, reduce stress, and find enjoyment in life, so taking some time to develop my talent is a good thing.
- It’s not time wasted if I grow from it.
So what if my story doesn’t end up becoming a publishable piece? So what if no one else ever reads it. The exercise in and of itself tones my writing muscles, stretches my imagination, and sharpens my editing and revision skills. It enhances my analytical capabilities. It makes me a better writer.
- It’s not time wasted if others benefit from it.
But, Brandi, how can anyone else benefit from a story that you don’t share? Simple. If I grow as a writer, readers will benefit from other stories I write.
But none of those three things are possible is my page is blank.
So, friends, I’m going to persevere. I’m going to keep writing . . . even if it’s bad . . . even if I fail. Time may be a hurdle, but I won’t allow fear to be one.
And so . . . I leave you with this question:
What’s the blank page in your life—and why aren’t you writing it?
Dawn Chance
My blank page is always full of different things in each one of our lives. It’s only when we write it down does it become reality. As writers we are always hardest on ourselves. We have no idea how those words are going to touch someone’s life or even us. Myself knows that I am not the true writer it all comes from God. Persevere Brandi let it out of your mind let it become real like You! Love You!
Brandi Smeltzer
Thank you so much for the encouragement, Dawn. You’re absolutely right; we have no idea how much our words impact others. You keep persevering as well. 🙂 Love you too!