Thursday, January 31, 2013

Friday Stir Fry

Pen And Contracts Royalty Free Stock Image - Image: 20486356 So a writer friend of mine received a contract offer from Harlequin a few days ago. Am I happy for her? Of course I am. She is a great story teller and as I've told her in critique group, she has a great voice. Am I jealous? We are told not to be jealous of other writer's success but to be honest, yea, just a little. Why? Because she has the drive and the passion to follow her dream. I on the other hand, am mired in self pity. I'm too old. I'm not good enough. It's too late for me. I don't have any new ideas. I could go on and on. But what's the point? I have a lot of demons. She writes about demons and reapers and all sorts of weird people. I can kind of relate.

But, perhaps a little jealousy is a good thing. It can motivate. It can spur you on to become better at what you do. I can't change the past, my present is pretty much unchangeable. Can this little bit of jealousy help me change my future?

On the positive side, I did start writing again. I wrote a 1500 word scene to add to my book. And I have a lot of scenes to add. So I'll keep plugging away. Who knows????? Maybe she will be just a little jealous of me one day!

6 comments:

  1. Honestly, Wanda, I admire you for admitting you're a little jealous. And I think it's perfectly wonderful that you are, because that's the sort of thing that can inspire you to go on and keep trying.

    If it makes you feel any better, I had a dream last night that I was in a dance troupe (I feel really guilty for not going to Zumba this week) with a bunch of high schoolers and I kept thinking, I'm 30, I have no future as a dancer, no reason to go on. I'm 30 and I'm done. Because I totally suck at Zumba, but I love it anyway.

    I know well enough that the dream is a reflection of how I feel in real life about my writing. I'm scared shitless (can I say that on your blog?) because I'm thinking about finishing that MS I've shoved into the deepest, darkest recesses of my hard drive and not self-publishing it. I don't know why I'm afraid, it's not like I've never gotten a rejection before, but it makes me uncomfortable. And my series is one book away from ending and I don't have any really good ideas for what to do next. It's scary.

    Breathe. One day at a time. Keep watching, keep adding scenes. You'll get there.

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  2. We each have our demons. Right now, mine are perfectionism and procrastination, while yours are doubt and discouragement. Keep plugging and you'll get through this.

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  3. Good, thoughtful post, Wanda. If our friends' successes can help spur our motivations, that's a postive! You're a good writer (award-winning,too, right?). Your time will come. Right now I'm looking at a little sign that says, "Dreams Have No Expiration Date." :) Looking forward to reading your new words.

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  4. I think you're post is right on the mark, Wanda. Jealousy is a good thing, especially when it motivates us to get in gear and produce something. That writer (you didn't mention her name, so I won't)actually completed something she set out to do. We can do that too. Let's get busy. And yes, I think it is possible to be happy and jealous at the same time.

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  5. I think it's perfectly normal to feel a twinge of jealousy. Someone will alwaysget published faster, get a bigger publishing house, a cooler agent, bigger royalty checks, a movie deal or whatever.

    You are right to use the jealousy as motivation. Good luck and stay positive. It'll happen!

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  6. Let that fire-breathing dragon of envy kiss your butt, Wanda, as you keep moving forward. You are very talented and you will get there... we all will... when it's OUR time. :-) Hugs and blessings!

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