RIding the Write Track

Clunk. Locked into a rollercoaster seat, I'm soaring upward on a track to the sky. Over the crest and whoosh! Now I'm plunging down the slope. My heart lodges in my throat a moment before it drops to my toes. 

Such is my life as a writer.

My keyboard taps out words like chains rattling on the coaster's track, pulling me upward. I'm near the top. My critique group thought that new chapter was polished to such a high gleam they had to wear sunglasses to read it.

The car crests the top of that first big hill. The agents I talked to at the writers conference loved the sample chapter and invited me to send them a proposal. I'm on our way. I corkscrew into the next chapter of a new WIP (work in progress), full of creativity inspired from the high of acceptance. The day's output: twenty-six hundred words. YES!

The next morning, I anxiously open my email and scroll down to see if there's an answer from the queried agent or editor.

Nothing.

My spirits plunge and twist down the track to the bottom. I know they're going to reject me, and I wonder why I keep trying. Caffeine. Maybe a dose of caffeine will help. I drag myself out of the chair and put the coffee pot on. I chew an old bar of chocolate I find in the back of the cupboard while I wait.

Finally, with liquid adrenaline finally ready, I've poured a huge mug, and now sit in front of a blank computer screen. Where did all the creativity from yesterday go?

Friends ask how I handle the ups and downs? While I can't escape being discouraged sometimes, okay, really disheartened, the goal should be to stay on the roller coaster. Ride it out.

For me, what works is to remember it's all about the story God gave me, the words— and not about me. I find it interesting that reminder comes from an author, Rick Warren, as the premise of his book The Purpose Driven Life.

Writers are artists — the pen is my brush, words my paint, and paper, my canvas. Clichéd, but true. However, God also imbued me with an artist's temperament and a fragile ego. Why? I don't know. That's one of those questions I plan on asking when I get to Heaven. That and why my ears aren't level—plays havoc with my favorite dangly earrings. 

As an artist, I have come to grips with my ego. Put it under His control. I dealt with that issue a lot as the drama director for my church. Striving for the best performance calls for dedication and rehearsal. In writing, that equates to editing and rewrites, and when my work reaches its very best form, it's easy to pat myself on the back. An out-of-control artistic ego leads to the highs and lows of a writer's life. Remembering who it's all about helps put things back into perspective pretty fast. It keeps me on more of a level track.

Determined to ride it out, what pulls me up toward the next rise? The chain of accomplishment. Have you won any awards or contests? Display them prominently in your work space to remind yourself you can do this. Has anyone said something nice about your work? Think about what was said. Drag out all the kudos you've received for review. Let them inspire you.

We all know you can't get sweet and bitter water from the same well. So, instead of thinking about failure, think about success. Think on things that are praiseworthy. Keep those successes at the forefront of your mind. I'm telling you, it works. Keeping chocolate on hand doesn't hurt either.

So fasten your seatbelt and ride it out. Hold your breath, 'cause here comes a barrel roll out of an inverted loop!