I’m approaching the halfway point of my novel. By the end of March, this little book baby that I have been living with for almost two years will be here. Then, it will be time for edits, querying, and all of the things that come next. It’s daunting and exciting, and I feel wholly unqualified.
But that isn’t the point.
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I have been thinking so much about my end game. When will I consider this a win? What does success even mean for me as a writer or mother or wife? For some, they just want to complete the book. Some people want to see it signed by a Big 5 publisher. Some people want to see their bills paid by writing.
Recently, I’ve realized that there isn’t really a finish line. I don’t know that there is a point at which I will feel like I’ve accomplished a goal. More importantly, if I have learned anything at all through three careers and 40 years of life, it’s that when I start a project, it morphs into something entirely different than I ever dreamed.
I’m on accidental career number three.
I think, though, there isn’t ever a finish line. There’s just the Next Thing.
Each time, I thought I had an end goal. When I was 20, I wanted to own a music publishing company. When I was 30, I wanted to be a commentator and do radio and cable news. At 40, I just want to get better. I want to be a better mom. I want to be a better creator. I want to be a better wife. I want to write better books.
I don’t have to run a full homestead, but I can learn new skills, one at a time, and change the way we live. I don’t have to plan my next 5 books and have a dream agent and publisher, but I can finish the book I’m working on and make it as good as I can make it.
When I think about the world in terms of the Next Thing, it is not nearly as daunting.
This rainy, miserable weekend, I’m holing up in the mountains and working on my next project. The goal is just to finish the draft this month. Then, I’ll move to the Next Thing. And eventually, it will be a beautiful, wonderful thing.
To be clear, big dreams are not unattainable. But the evolution of the dream is part of the process. Moving forward without the pressure of a specific goal can be liberating. It also can feel a lot less like failure if your Big Thing is different than you thought at the beginning.
So, what’s your Next Thing?
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