My eldest daughter is currently swimming at the Australian National Championships and two days ago, made it through to a semi-final which saw her finish 15th overall. How awesome is that? . Her success has been forefront in my mind for obvious reasons, but also because I have had a challenging week on the writing front which has caused me to consider why I am putting myself through this process.
I got to thinking about how she has spent the last ten years of her life, morning and night, swimming up and down, up and down fuelled by nothing more than blind faith and self-belief. Sure, as parents, my husband and I have been there to hold her hand at times and kick her backside at others. She has also had injuries and setbacks a plenty and yet she continues to get up every morning and paddle up and down...up and down.
One of my very dear friends, Melanie Milburne wrote seventeen manuscripts before she was published. But she kept writing, fuelled by blind faith and self-belief.
So when I my self-belief starts to falter or I begin to doubt the process I always find myself concentrating on the journey of others. What keeps you at the keyboard tapping away. How do you maintain your focus? I would love to hear. In the meantime, I will take the advice of that wonderful philospher, Dory from Finding Nemo and...just keep swimming...just keep swimming.
Cover Joy for The CEO's Impossible Heir...
2 years ago
Great news re your daughter, Felicity! You must be very proud of her.
ReplyDeleteMy focus comes and goes as you know. Waiting kills it totally. But actually, I have to say, now I've sent my revisions away, I'm not as wound up about them as I was the first time round. Practice maybe? Anyway, having a new story that I'm loving to write really helps me. Though it's taken about a week to get into. Either that or spending lots of money on something totally unsuitable. :-)
Wow what an amazing achievement! I've always found swimmers fascinating because let's face it how many people have the ability to get up at 4am to go swimming? How many of us exercise properly period? Does trying to count? No?
ReplyDeleteI love Melanie's stories it's amazing to think that seventeen of them went unpublished!
There are days when I think even considering exercising...even if in the future...is an achievement for me. And I love Melanie's stories as well. They are just getting better and better.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter sounds like a great inspiration and was fabulous heroine material!
ReplyDeleteThink we all need to remember to just keep swimming sometimes!
Hi Felicity,
ReplyDeleteI met Melanie at the last conference. I also have a few of her books, they are fantastic.
I maintain my focus by having a deep desire within to keep going, the desire to be better, the desire to want to succeed. Writing is a major part of my life now and I absolutely love it. :)
Sorry I wasn't more help. But just like a swimmer, if it's something you want, something that's in your blood, you keep going until you get it, and then you want more, so then you continue to strive. :)
Thanks Suzanne. I have been checking my blog, my email, printing up useless gaff and now reading your post has made me remember why I do this. Because I love it. Sometimes I forget that when the characters are misbehaving. And you post sounds very much like Melanie Milburne's attitude. She does it because she loves it and she just wants to keep doing it better.
ReplyDelete