Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

Today is Easter Monday. For some of us, that means it is a day just like any other; only you have a chocolate hangover to go with your early morning coffee. Other people get another day off to add to the already extra long weekend. I’m jealous.

Last week, Seana Moorhead wrote the blog post, The New Social Writer. If you didn’t get a chance to read it, go HERE. Seana talked about registering for an online leadership course that runs for a year, but they started with a two-day virtual retreat online together.

When I heard about this, I couldn’t help but smile. I, too, applied for a virtual writing retreat in early January with the #5amwritersclub on Twitter. I got in! I paid my fee, and then I started to panic.

My weekend retreat is all about writing, not leadership. Honestly, I’m quite worried about how it is going to go for me. I’m stepping way, way out of my comfort zone on this. I’m usually more of a loner when it comes to writing. Plus, I rarely share my work with anyone. I show my husband and possibly one other writer, but that’s it. I don’t want so many opinions on how shitty my work is that I get confused on how to fix it.

Back to the retreat. First off, we need to show up for the retreat prepared. There was work to do beforehand. Two months of homework before we even get to attend the retreat at the end of April. The writing-related assignments included things like this:

• Write a logline for your new novel.
• Write an elevator pitch, short blurb, and back cover blurb.
• Create a new cast of characters. Think about their arcs.
• Search for a plausible setting. Is it a real place? Or fictional place?
• Think about your plot. Do you have one?
• Write a synopsis and an outline.
• Write an author bio.
• Create a one-page document about your novel; include an author section.
• Write and share ten pages of your novel.

Did you read the last line? I had to write and share ten pages of my work on a new novel that I don’t know anything about yet. Did I mention most of these people are strangers to me? These people will be reading my work. AND, commenting on it. Gah! This sends my anxiety through the roof. Plus, in my normal typical fashion, I waited until this weekend to write my ten pages and hand them in. Such a bad idea! Are there any procrastinators out there that can relate to my pain?

At the end of April, we will sit together from Friday to Sunday online (not in person), and we will discuss our current projects together. We will also be breaking into smaller groups and helping each other. It is a fabulous idea if you can handle something like this.

Here’s the thing. I don’t think I can, but I don’t know for sure. So I signed up, and I’m going to follow through with it, whether I feel comfortable or not.

So far, after working ahead on all the homework, this is what I found out. When I’m stressed out and on a deadline, and my butt is in the chair daily, I can produce words like a freaking machine. I have moved full-speed ahead on this project, and I couldn’t be happier.

I mean, I still have those days where I say, “I can’t do this. My work is shit! Everything I write sucks. My novel is a flaming brown bag of doggie poo that I should light on fire. I can’t let anyone read this mess.”

Then, the next day, I say, “Damn, that sentence is golden. I love it. Maybe I can morph this paragraph into something that people will enjoy reading? Oh, I like my main character. What kind of trouble could she get into in this chapter?”

I seriously bounce from good days of writing to bad days, and then I jump right back. I’m learning a new way to approach writing a new novel. I might like it. We’ll see.

The novel that I’m currently editing was a pantsing nightmare project. I was all over the place when I was writing it. I had no outline. I just winged it, jumping from scene to scene without any plan whatsoever. It was tons of work. Still is. But, after working with a professional editor, I’m learning the fundamental process of editing and layering my story. I found out that the editing part of writing is actually lots of fun. It makes me feel better about my writing (meaning my writing sounds better after the 27th draft). It gets better with every pass-through. I’m getting close to the finish line.

This next novel—the new one—I’m coming in like a freight train from a different direction. I feel good about it. Planting seeds early and planning the twists and turns is a different process. I am constantly thinking about a better ending. I have one for now, and it works okay. I know it will get better, provided I don’t die of COVID before I finish it. This pandemic is scary. It is affecting my writing. I struggle just worrying about my family and friends and if they will listen to the advice of staying home, but every day, I make baby steps toward finishing my projects. I can’t be expecting any more than that. Baby steps are better than no steps at all.

I will leave you with two quotes from two authors I admire regarding their fear and insecurity about writing novels. Recently, I attended a live ZOOM event at The Poisoned Pen Bookstore with Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl), in conversation with Dennis Lehane (Mystic River) for his 20th anniversary of that book. If you want to watch this video on YouTube, go HERE.

Dennis said, “If you can find anything else to do that you are better at, that’s easier, that can make you money, go do it. This is really, really hard unless you love it. Then, it is awesome.”

Gillian said, “Writing is a grind. Sometimes the muse comes down and settles on you and guides your path. Be stubborn. Be savage with the cuts. This isn’t good enough. This needs to be better.”

Bottom line, if you are one of those people struggling to write something during this pandemic, I suggest you change it up. Try something new and push yourself out of your comfort zone. If that doesn’t work, drop by a live event with one of the authors you admire and hear them talk about how hard writing is for everyone. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. I think writers have a gift of words; it is almost a crime if you don’t use that gift by sharing your words with others.

Enjoy the rest of your chocolate bunny and Easter eggs (if there are any leftovers). Now, be brave and write something. Please share it with the world.