Summer has arrived and, for me, that means a slower pace and a different writing schedule. I don’t need to squeeze writing in. I have fewer demands on my time, like writing workshops and freelance projects. I can luxuriate in hours of mad scribbling out a first draft, reading through my pile of books in my office, and pondering.
I’m not great at making time for pondering. I’m usually eager to start writing. I want to see results. Patience is not my strength. Discipline is. I can stay on task. Bang out that first draft. Create a revision plan. Produce the book.
Author Anne Lamott said in her recent Ted Talk, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug if for a few minutes, including you.” This quote is now on a note above my desk. It’s my summer mantra.
What new insights can I discover about my work-in-progress, my fledgling ideas, my writing process, myself? Right now, I’m at a crossroad with writing. I feel that I have a new aspect of the craft to learn. I’m exploring new ways to write. I’m experimenting with different voices and perspectives. I’m even exploring a new genre within kid lit.
Maybe this new exploration will result in new publications. Maybe not. But the journey will not be dull.
One thing I love about writing is that I’m never finished learning how to do it.
I just read a book called Mindset by Carol Dwek for a course I’m taking, and it talks about lifelong learning and seeing every set-back as an opportunity to learn. That’s kind of my mantra for writing this summer.
I love that mantra, Angela. Thanks for sharing it.