In It for the Long Haul

We write because we believe the human spirit
cannot be tamed and should not be trained.
-- Nikki Giovanni (b. June 7, 1943),
American poet and civil rights promoter

I have a tendency to leave things unfinished. I have a lot of creative energy, which I'm very good at channeling into a project right at the beginning, but since I constantly need something to stimulate my brain I tend to get bored very easily with things and lose my enthusiasm for them.

Last year I started the "Read Through the Bible in a Year" program. I made it six months.

I have five manuscripts that are in various stages of completion at the moment. One is actually finished, edited, has been read by several independents, and is "out there" - searching (desperately, at this point) for an agent. The second has been through the critique group, but I gave up working on the rewrite because I got so into the third one, which is the current WIP. On this one, the draft is done, it's going through the critique group, and I'm working on the rewrite as we go along. The fourth of the five is the not-quite-completed draft of my NaNoWriMo novel with which I met the 50,000 words in 30 days goal in November. I put it on the shelf and am leaving it there until I get something else finished, but since NaNo's goal was to write NEW material, I wrote a new book. The fifth and final unfinished project is the seed of an idea I had a couple of years ago for a hot-chick mystery series. It's also on the shelf and will stay there until God only knows when.

I'm trying to fix myself. Not train, as Ms. Giovanni said, because I think she's right about the human spirit (especially mine). But I need to be modified a little. I'm trying to do things that will help me focus more and actually finish what I start for a change.

There's the New Year's resolution - to read a book a week for the whole year. I'm only two books behind at this point, which for me is probably a major accomplishment. I used to read a lot faster than I do now, but I'm working on building back up to speed. (I should take a lesson from J.T. on this one - I don't think I've ever met anyone who speed-reads like she does.)

On July 1st I'm going to pick up where I left off on the Bible reading.

I've been President of Sisters in Crime - Middle Tennessee for a couple of years now and am starting my third term this month. I've been editing the newsletter for the chapter for two years, and got the website up and running about a year and a half ago. Again, major accomplishments.

And then, there's the blog. By writing every day - something, every day - I've been able to keep my focus a little more narrowed, a little more ... well, focused.

Since I started keeping track somewhere around the middle of April, I've had over 950 page views here, which is great - I really appreciate your taking the time to read my musings and ramblings. Really. But even if no one read it, I'd still be okay with that, because the truth is, I'm doing this more for myself, anyway. The fact that you're here, reading this now, just adds a bit of a motivation factor. Knowing that someone out there cares enough about me to want to know what I'm doing, and might stop by occasionally to offer a few words of encouragement - all the more incentive to commit to this thing for the long haul.

That goes for the writing, too.

I've learned, especially over the past couple of years (since I quit my job), that the writing is a part of me. My brother says he knew all along that I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. (I asked him why he didn't tell me that years ago.) Because it's a part of me, even if I start something new, and it takes me a while to finish it, I know I'm going to do it. Not doing it is no longer an option.

So, I'm armed with a new list of priorities as far as the books are concerned:
1. First and foremost, I will not start something new until I finish what I've already started.
2. I will finish the draft on the current WIP and get it to J.T. (my primary critique partner, in case you haven't figured that one out by now) so she can comb through it.
3. I will finish that unfinished rewrite on the last book to have made it through the critique group and get it ready to submit.
4. I will dig out the NaNoWriMo book and flesh it out to a completed first draft, and will concentrate my efforts fully on it when #'s 2 and 3 are done.
5. Depending on my agent, whom I have confidence will be in my camp by this time next year (positive thinking always works best), I will pull up the attempt at the hot-chick mystery series and see what can be done with it.

After all that, if I'm not a) retired; or b) dead, who knows?

Music of the Moment: Symphony No. 3 ("Eroica"), Beethoven

Read a book. It's good for you. And thanks again for sticking with me for the long haul.

=) JB