8 More. What Being an Author Taught Me About Life

I am destined to move
at night on the secondary roads
of the American dream.
I took my first off ramp
after years of traveling
under someone else’s direction. . .

Stopping at magical places –
Singing the one Clearest note –

Cracking open an awareness
of things more beautiful
than was once thought possible –
A poetic life.

~ Author Unknown (Goose Creek Road)

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Blog #52 –  One Year anniversary of Getting to Wise. A Writer’s Life. A wonder, as I’d put it off for eight years. Re-designed by professionals, twice, then sitting. Design #3 I launched.

I’m a novelist. I love listening to the story, following the characters. I’m a poet. I love the beats of syllables, commas, and periods. Love the lyrical in language. I’m an editor. I love fitting the pieces together, finding the path to essence and necessity.

And every week for the past year my constant has been to show up here, tell the truth, publish by 10am Tuesday, no matter what. Usually as clueless about what I’ll say as that first morning I sat down to start.

One year. Today I could write about the crossroads I’m at. How I’m visited by an image of a lone person walking across a broad western plain. Not a sad or beaten soul, but one moving steady, with purpose. A person who didn’t choose to buy a horse. And she needs one now. And she knows the kind of horse she needs to get her where she’s headed. An educated decision. Instead, I’m sharing 8 more things being an author underscores for me. The ones that continue to carry me, no matter what.

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1)  We’re WIP.

Our lives are glorious Works in Progress. Change is the only constant. We grow, evolve, learn, experience. Arrive at the end when we give up, shut down, or die. Like in any book or story.

2)  Sometimes we chose an experiment.

My husband’s fond of saying this when I’m angsting. Because, as we know, when the experiment or adventure’s going well, it’s great to be in it. When it’s not, everything feels serious. I can delete bad experiments when I write. In life, the best outcomes for bad ones are learning, growing, changing the story.

3)  Take a break, let it rest.

Once an author types <the end> on a WIP, we put it away for a while, hopefully at least three weeks, come back to edit with fresh eyes. The separation creates space inside that allows us to experience the work differently. Same with many things in life, including relationships or jobs.

4)  There’ll be good reviews, and bad reviews.

None of them true. They may affect outcomes, but only those we can use to better the story we’re writing of who we are and how we show up matter. The rest are with the audience.

5)  You don’t need to be an expert.

We don’t have to know everything, be an expert to know enough, move forward. I read 40 pages about guns and hunting rifles for two short descriptive references in my novel. I’m not an expert on guns, but I know those passages are correct. When I saw the same information recycle in the training materials for online business, found several examples of people successful doing what I wanted to do in a way I aligned with, I wasn’t an expert, but I knew enough to move forward intelligently.

6)  Find a way past Stuck.

Amazon has 100 pages of books on writer’s block. I don’t know if this includes the games or journals mentioned in the drop down menu. We look for the way past stuck. It’s no different in life.

7)  Pay attention to the Evidence Journal

The journal we’re often blind to. The one that notates our accomplishments. Mirrors our gifts, strengths, weaknesses, hot buttons. Shows us the disconnects between intent and expression, and connection. The one that tells us who’s paying attention, sees us. Shows us who others are. Everything we need to know is in the evidence journal. We just gotta look and listen, see and hear with an open heart and mind. And trust ourselves. That’s the tricky part.

8)  Trust permeable boundaries.

Creativity is not about control. We want control of our instruments and tools, but openness to unknown possibilities. To what may show up if we soften our gaze, see more than we’re believe we’re looking for. Hear more than we decided to hear, or think we hear. We step into the realm of allowing ourselves to be surprised, and be led to something new. This Life is our greatest creation. We’re all authors writing stories.

Author (from Merrium-Webster dictionary)
1. one that originates or creates
2. the writer of a literary work (as a book)

What story are you writing?  Tell me here, in the comments.

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Another small journey. Getting to Wise.
A Writer’s Life.

A secret:  I believe a WIP is the best we can be.
A favorite: Writing this blog.

Photo: free share by Jared Erondu

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