Journal Me Mondays: The Loose Ends
First, I have to say that I am a very lucky person.
While I am forty-three and attempting my passion, I have gone through a lot to reach the point where I am comfortably pursuing my desire to become a published fiction writer.
Although I am a ghostwriter, a creative writing teacher, and an assistant to an amazing woman, I really want to get published as a fiction writer.
This idea, for some reason, has always seemed incredibly out of reach for me. But I know it's not. I just have to find the right formula, keep trying, and eventually get there.
Gee, about twelve years ago, I discovered that I COULD write. I always wanted TO write but never thought anything I wrote was good enough to share. Instead, I would scratch it, tear it up, or throw it away. Now, I know the words were simply percolating.
I woke up one morning with characters that NEEDED to be written about, and the rest is history. Writing set me on a journey I could have never imagined. Although most of it was growing and catching up to the person, I would eventually become (which is fancy talk for saying I made many mistakes, like, A LOT). While I think I can write well, I also think that I spent so much time in my early life so unsure of myself, my choices, opinions, etc., that I could not become a career writer without building up courage and confidence in myself.
First had to complete school. I already had an Associate's degree, but that wasn't enough. I needed to go to college and button up that desire first. And while college was amazing, incredible, ridiculous, hard, and so much more, it clicked with me. (College is not for everyone, and while I advocate for going if you want to, it's not something that is "necessary" for a happy life—more on that later).
College was where I was supposed to be. It was a loose end that needed to be tied up. I learned so much there, not just knowledge about writing but about what I was made of.
College was the second biggest challenge of my life, aside from parenting. Parenting is the hardest thing I've ever been part of, but it gave me a focus and drive to better myself and be a good model for my children.
My point?
Find the ends that you may have to tie up, but keep doing what you want to do as well. I was lucky to find a way to write while tying up my loose ends. I was going to college for writing, lol. But, if your dream doesn't align with your loose ends, find a way to chip away, even if it is just a little each day, to incorporate your passion.
I didn't write what I wanted for five years. I was only writing to graduate. That didn't mean I avoided writing my stuff, nor did it mean that I didn't learn anything. But, I did put off trying to get published (although I have some published non-fiction pieces) for a "career." Because trying to tackle all my goals at once was just too overwhelming for my brain to soak in.
Think about your passion and see where your loose ends need to be tied up. Do you have a plan? Do you need one?
Feel free to reach out if you need someone to bounce ideas off. Everyone needs and deserves the ability to learn more about themselves and grow into the passion that makes them feel whole.
That includes you.