So, the online dictionary defines Passion as : any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as hate or love; the outburst of strong emotion or feeling. Ha, I have never been accused of being timid in this department!
There is such a fine line between love/hate for writers struggling with angst… getting ideas down onto paper or in today ‘s age, some sort of media publishing.
At times it feels almost like an obsession. The need to get it right. To be perfect. But that very passion is what drives the writer to put themselves through the physical and emotional roller coaster of wresting ideas from their subconscious and shaping or forming it into something of beauty. Something to be admired and appreciated by complete strangers who’s opinions have the strange power to bring those very words to something of value. In, not only their eyes, but oddly enough to the writer themselves. It is the artistry of the passion.
It is a contradiction to write for oneself and yet need valadation of it’s worth through another person. Whether that be a publisher, editor, or reader at large.
It isn’t enough for many writer’s to feel they have satisfied themselves in doing the job well; we want and need approval. Yet, for myself, there is an undercurrent of, is it good enough? If it isn’t good enough; why isn’t it good enough? To boot, why isn’t enough for me to be happy with the end product…resentment kicks in for wanting/needing approval of others.
Without the stamp of approval of someone in the business, what has been a joy and a struggle to give birth to; becomes an albatross of clutter somewhere. A collection of scrap paper.
The trick to harnassing passion is to view it as a motivating tool and to limit it’s power to derail you from your goal. I am going to step out on the edge and go where my comfort zone will be in jeopardy. I am going to venture into e-book writing and marketing. This may be a success or a primal failure. Time will be the determining factor as i am going to throw my full passion into it even though it is not orignally where i saw myself.
The dream has always been writing for children. But, as i am discovering, banging your head against the wall just to get a reading can be most damaging to my drive to follow through. Maybe by putting together something that the masses value or at least desire to purchase could put me in the position of leveraging the writer’s reputation.
It is the old chasing your tail thing. To get published…it is helpful to send clips of what you have already published. To do that …..you need to get published. LOL….so….to break the cycle one must do something different than the rest. My head hurts…haha…i am going to challenge myself to stand on the edge of something new and give it a try. Life is too short to keep my passion on simmer indefinately!
Write where you are 