Let’s Focus on the Wins

I’ve been working on what I think will be a short story for a bit now. [A Small Light in the Darkness: you can track my writing progress in the sidebar] It’s been slow going because it’s been hot outside, I haven’t been feeling my greatest, and it’s hard to concentrate while the world feels like it’s falling apart. Even as I’m typing this I’m feeling the sweet, seductive siren call of a nap pulling at me.

But that’s okay. Not the reasons why I’ve struggled with writing much, but that my output hasn’t been where I’ve wanted it to be.

Productivity comes in its own time. There are lots of reasons why you might struggle with the ability to create like you want to, from having to juggle a job and family to–like in my case–deal with a disability that often saps my strength and makes it difficult to focus. Add to that the weight of what’s been happening politically, possible financial struggles or a million other valid and pressing challenges, and it can feel like a real battle to get anything creative accomplished.

It doesn’t make me bad at my job of writing to need to go slower than some other authors do, or have less output. We’re all unique and contrary to the beliefs of some, this isn’t a race or competition of any kind. I write my best when I’m focused, well-rested, and unstressed. Trying to push through pain or exhaustion in order to meet some idea of how much I “should” be writing in a day won’t give me my best work. So instead, I try to set healthy and realistic goals for myself, because I acknowledge that I do perform better with goals of some kind, just not ones that make me feel like I’m in some strange literary footrace, except it’s fingers on keyboards.

When I do get down on myself for not living up to some arbitrary standard or goal that someone else dictated, I like to play the game of “But what have I already accomplished?” You can play along with me, if you like. July, the middle of the year, is a great time to play this game–but really, anytime you need to be reminded of what you’ve already done, no matter how small, this is a fun thing to do.

Mid Year Accomplishment List 2024Condensed entry: all the tasks that went along with finishing A Third Kind of Madness [editing, cover, layout, blahblah]Published my third novel, A Third Kind of Madness!Attended and participated at Balticon 58, including being a panelist and doing a reading from ATKOMVirtually attended the Nebula Conference and was a panelistParticipated in the Weeknight Writers: Editing event as a panelistI joined the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writer’s Association as an Associate Member! Joining SFWA was a HUGE goalNow have all three of my books carried in my local library system as well as in some other librariesInvited to a SECRET [for now] project that I’ll get to tell you about SOON!

I’m sure that I’m missing some things, but this is still an impressive list for a someone who has only been a published writer for a few years, if I do say so myself. Is it the powerhouse that some new writers have? No! And it doesn’t have to be! Accolades as a new writer generally happen because the writer is very good, AND very lucky. You can be the best writer out there but if you aren’t lucky enough to be spotted in the piles of other work, no one will ever know it. It takes a LOT of work–or luck–to be discovered. It takes even more to start to get recognition for what you’re creating and what you can offer to the reading and writing communities.

Looking over my list, I can feel assured that I’m not letting things slip through my fingers, and I’m on a good schedule. Three books in four years, as someone with an unpredictable chronic disease? I’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about!

If you are also struggling with feeling like you haven’t done enough, I recommend this exercise. It really does give one perspective on, well, everything. don’t forget to count the small successes, too. They’re just as important! And feel free to share them in the comments because I’ll definitely be cheering for you.