I give myself permission to suck.
Full disclosure: I discovered Maureen Johnson through her short stint as John Green’s stand-in during his first paternity leave from his YouTube channel (Vlogbrothers.) As a writer, the video above is so valuable. I think about it every time I’m in the midst of a writing sprint. It’s so important to allow yourself to power through when things aren’t clicking the way you thought they would in your mind. No one’s first, second, third, eighth* draft is as good as they want it to be. You just gotta keep going, keep writing, and eventually the kinks will be ironed out and it will become the story you were going for.
Why am I posting this today?
I started rewriting my second novel (the one from last November/Christmastime.) It’s been… a challenge. This time of year is busy. But I’ve started it! I’m about 5,000 words in. My goal is to be kind to myself this time. I don’t have to write 2,000 words a day if I really can’t. I’ll still do my best, but some days are just not great and that’s okay!
My goal is to be finished with this second draft by the end of June. That’s plenty of time! I found my groove yesterday, so I’m past the blank-first-page mental hurdle.
How’s your writing going? I assume you’re also a writer. You might actually be a welder. That’s cool, too. What’s that like?
Until next time,
*not necessarily hyperbole. Some novels take a lot of drafts before they’re finished. It really does take time.
Sara Mazariegos 