I feel good that I’ve written in my WIP every day this week. Some days I filled several pages. Some days I wrote just one page. Not because I couldn’t think of what to write. Not because I didn’t have time during the day to write. But because I filled my hours with other tasks and still had the determination to open the spiral notebook before bed and put something down. What made it extra nice was that I never lost my place. The next sentence picked up wherever I’d left off the day before.
I have a few pages left in this spiral notebook. It might be enough incentive to fill the pages by Monday so I can start a new spiral. When I asked myself why this week and not the last few months, I came up with a couple of reasons.
First, because I’ve been listening to the Quitcast (and I think I’ve listened to them all), Becca mentions several times to “open the manuscript”. The next step is to see if I can write the next sentence. So far this week, I’ve done both.
Also, I think by doing even a little bit every day, a small stream of momentum has trickled through the week. I don’t want to break this streak. And though I’m making tiny bits of progress, it’s still progress, and that counts.
And then there’s the intersection of expectation and reality. I hadn’t thought of it in those words, but that’s something I’ve narrowed my focus on. My book sales, my reader engagement, my consideration of what to focus on to move forward is my reality. Which, of course, has been sideways with my expectations. Despite the fact that I’ve shifted expectations in the years I’ve been writing and publishing, I haven’t shifted enough or in the right direction to make a difference in my mindset. I think I’m at least looking in the right direction now.
So, I’ll keep pedaling, even if it feels like I’m not going very far or very fast.
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