In the writing world, I'm in the middle of... well, everything. I'm writing one book, querying another, and about to start editing a third manuscript sometime in the coming weeks. I'm keeping busy, which I love. But in the midst of all of this busyness, sometimes I feel intimidated. When I actually stop and think about what I'm doing, I wonder, Am I doing it right? What if I'm totally on the wrong track, writing the wrong book, or wasting my time when I should be doing something else?
That's when a conversation with my high school history teacher comes to mind. I had to write this enormous term paper in eleventh grade, and I felt like I was drowning. Not only was the assignment a challenge, but I hated every word that I'd written so far. I went to my teacher for some advice, and we read my paper together. I admitted that I didn't like any of it, but I didn't want to start over."Why not?" she asked.
Because it would be more work. Duh. (I obviously didn't "duh" her, don't worry.) I told her I felt like I wasted my time with this first paper. "Nonsense," she said. This was part of the process. I had to learn how to write a proper term paper, since I'd be doing it countless times in college, and not every paper turns out the way we want it to the first time around.
I restarted my history paper. Completely. It was a lot of hard work, but I got two great things out of it: a good grade, and wisdom that pertains to drafting. My teacher was right; this advice helped me out in college, and naturally, it has helped my creative writing, too. I made sure to visit her a few years later to thank her.
Another terrific teacher, Ms. Frizzle, has said these unforgettable words: "Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!" Don't forget that it's okay to make a mistake. It's perfectly fine to start over.
Have you taken a chance lately?
* Magic School Bus photo credit: www.fanpop.com
