Keep Going

This week’s newsletter is just going to root for you.

I am going to assume that you’re doing everything you can. You show up to your writing when you can. You fight off the inner critics. You don’t let your writing interfere with your life. You’re taking it day by day.

And, if you’re not doing these things, you understand how and when you can close the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

I’m rooting for you.

I’m rooting for you to get that article, book, chapter, poem, novel, short fiction, creative non-fiction, essay, introduction, conclusion, proposal, email done.

You got this!

Sometimes it will feel rough. You might look at your schedule and wonder why no one wants you to get your writing done. You might look at your schedule and wonder why you act like you don’t want to get your writing done. You might be frustrated by the fact that you’re not producing words but you’re still working in the lab, in the library, at conferences, and everywhere else but at your desk. You might hear all the voices of the folks that told you it cannot be done. You might feel lonely or jealous or angry.

Just keep going. Just do what is right there in front of you. The past and the future are too hard to carry simultaneously. Set them down. Keep going.

You might wonder whether there’s a golden rhythm where you know exactly what to do and in what order. You might wonder when it will feel like you’ve got it.

I’m sorry. That’s not a thing.

Each writing piece is different. So there’s only one thing left to do:

Enjoy the journey.

I know it sounds cliché. But, it is true. Every day, your writing is bringing you something new. Every day, you get to ask: what is my next best move? If asking each day is tiring, then ask each week or each month.

Whatever the case, embrace the moment you’re in.

I’m rooting for you. You got this.

Let me know if you need me.