Riding the Write Track

By Ane Mulligan

Clunk. Locked into a rollercoaster seat, we're soaring upward on a track to the sky. Swish! Now we're plunging down the slope with hearts lodged in our throats. Such is the life of a writer.

Our keyboards tap out words like chains rattling on the coaster's track, pulling us upward. We're near the top. The critique group thought that new chapter was polished to such a high gleam, they had to wear sunglasses to read it.

The car crests the top of that first big hill. The agents we talked to at the writers conference loved the sample chapter and invited us to send them a proposal. We're on our way. We corkscrew into the next chapter of a new work in progress, full of creativity inspired from the high of acceptance. The day's output: 1,000 words. YES!

The next morning we anxiously open our email and scroll down to see if there's an answer from the queried agent.

Nothing.

Spirits plunge and twist down the track to the bottom. We know they're going to reject us, and wonder why we keep trying. Caffeine. Maybe a dose of caffeine will help. We drag ourselves out of the chair to go put the coffee pot on.

With liquid adrenaline finally ready, we've poured a huge mug, and now sit in front of a blank computer screen. Where did all the creativity from yesterday go?

How do we handle the ups and downs? While we can't escape being discouraged sometimes, our goal should be to stay on the roller coaster. Ride it out.

For me, what works is to remember it's all about God—not about me. I find it interesting that reminder comes from an author, Rick Warren, as the premise of his book The Purpose Driven Life.

God created writers as artists—the pen is our brush, words our paint and paper, our canvas. Clichéd but true. However, He also imbued us with an artist's temperament and a fragile ego. Why? I don't know. That's one of those questions I plan on asking Him when I get to Heaven, if I can stop praising Him long enough to think.

As artists, we must come to grips with our ego. Put it under His control. I deal with that issue a lot as the drama director for my church. Striving for the best performance, calls for dedication and rehearsal. In writing, that equates to editing and rewrites, and when my work reaches its very best form, it's easy to pat myself on the back.

An out-of-control artistic ego leads to the highs and lows of a writer's life. Remembering Who it's all about helps put things back into perspective. Pretty fast. It keeps me on more of a level track. If I'm thinking too highly of myself, it reminds me who I am, and if I'm down, it helps me see things from a different perspective.

Determined to ride it out, what pulls us up toward the next rise? The chain of accomplishment. Have you won any awards or contests? Display them prominently in your writing space to remind yourself you can write coherently. Has anyone said something nice about your work? Think about what was said. Drag out for review, all the kudos you've received. Let them inspire you.

God tells us that we can't get sweet and bitter water from the same well. Instead of thinking about failure, think about success. He encourages us to think on those things that are praiseworthy, and even tells us that He doesn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power and strength and a sound mind. I like to think He had writers in mind when He inspired those words. It's good advice. Best of all—it works.

So fasten your seatbelt and ride it out. Hold your breath, 'cause here comes a barrel roll out of an inverted loop!