How was it for me to see Blood Draw on the Amazon shelves? In addition to some very physical excitement, I was bathed in gratitude. I am grateful to so many people, as are most authors. I surprised myself when I realized what emerged next was pride. I have never experienced pride for myself.
Suddenly, remnants of my former Lutheran conscience began to float into my positive field. “Isn’t that one of the deadly sins?” They asked cautiously. Yikes. I quickly visited Wikipedia to allay my fear, but no luck; pride is listed as the first and deadliest sin! Changing my research to Google, I was comforted: A feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements. The remnants dissolved and I was struck once more with the importance of letting go of past dangerous dogma and celebrating the pride of achievement.
What else happened behind the scenes in the growth and development of Blood Draw?
Perseverance
I must thank the Mac’s Backs Fiction Writing Group as catalyst. For their feedback and encouragement, of course. Personally, I knew I could not show up without another chapter to read. I wrote when I hadn’t a clue. I wrote when I did not want to write. I did not know pride would be the carrot for the next book.
Reading
Fortunately I love to read fiction. I do not understand how anyone does not read fiction, much less fiction writers. I cannot live without it, and it feeds my writing on so many levels, conscious and unconscious. Another benefit to reading? A legitimate form of procrastination!
Goals
Being an INFP, goals are obnoxious. However, I discovered that I only needed to set a goal for each writing period. It could be minutes: I will write for thirty minutes. It could be pages: I will write one page. Make a commitment to meet that small goal before you stop. Make commitment your friend.
Transform self-judgement into the Fair Witness
Teddy Roosevelt stated, “Comparison is the thief of Joy.”
A daily practice
Julia Cameron sets it up so clearly in The Artist’s Way. Making the Morning Pages a practice, ie. writing three pages every morning of whatever comes into your mind, is invaluable. It doesn’t have to be your novel but it feeds your Inner Writer.
Today, I think the biggest Behind the Scenes thought is to believe in and nurture myself, yourself, and ourselves.
Thank you for stopping by…
If you have read Blood Draw, please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads or here! Please, please leave your comments.
Peace,
Gabrielle