My daughter is taking driver’s Education. It’s been a long process full of jangled nerves, near accidents, and just a dose of terror. In our state, parents are required to spend forty hours accompanying their child while they drive before they ever take driver’s ed. or get their license. See what I mean? Terror.
But now, she’s moved on to driving with her teacher, and I can relax. Well, at least I can pretend to relax.
The other day as my daughter drove with her instructor, they practiced pulling off to the side of the road. They stopped and sat there. After a moment or two he told her to get back on the road and pick up her speed. The man is a genius. Not because of driver’s ed., but because he gives great writing advice. Get back on the road and pick up your speed.
That sentence just about sums up writing. Writing will not happen if you aren’t in the driver’s seat (parked in front of your computer). It doesn’t happen unless you put in your time. And it doesn’t happen if you never pull away from the curb and pick up speed.
I’m in the driver’s seat. I’ve put in a fair amount of time—several long years. Now, I need to pull away from the curb and pick up speed. At some point you have to stop practicing and just take the darn test. And the test for a writer is submitting. And then submitting. And then submitting. Repeated until you die or go blind from staring at your computer screen.
So, here is my goal: finish my current rewrite and submit, submit, submit.
The only thing is, the driver’s ed. instructor never told my daughter what to do if she had an accident. Hmm. Let’s just hope I don’t crash and burn. *Grin*
Leisha
It's true! You have to be in the drivers seat! Great analogy. My son's taking drivers ed too. It frightens me!
ReplyDeleteLove this pep talk, Leisha! You are most certainly ready to get out there and sell something. And we'll be right with you all the way.
ReplyDeleteOne of the joys of writing is that even if you feel like your project crashed and burned, you can salvage something from it and keep on going. Cars don't always do that well...
ReplyDeleteCarolyn, my daughter passed her test yesterday. All we have to do is go pick up her license. Somehow this frightens me even more.
ReplyDeleteRebecca, thanks. I think I need training wheels for my courage. ;)
Jolene, LOL. That is so true. I guess I'm glad I'm not a car. *Grin*
Great post and boy, am I there! Writing is just as daunting and such a rush! I wish I'd get a speeding ticket, but I guess that requires you to speed. Feels like I'm perpetually stuck at 2 MPH. Thanks for the advice and pep talk! I'm pulling away from the curb now, trying to push the accelerator . . .
ReplyDeleteGo, go, go on the submits!! :)
ReplyDeleteJonene, 2mph feels about right. :)
ReplyDeleteSusan, I have to finish my rewrite, then I will force myself to submit. I haven't sent anything in in about a year. Bad, I know. I just keep wanting to get it perfect and that never happens. Someone needs to slap me upside the head.
Take your time. Get it right. Your readers will thank you.
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