I’ve been writing my first novel
for quite a while now. Actually, long enough that those people close to me and
who care, are beginning to think I’m never going to complete it. I admit it has
been a more challenging project than I ever imagined. Some people seem to
effortlessly churn out story after story, but I know there is no
“effortlessly” when it comes to writing.
Writing is hard work.
It takes a lot of perseverance to
complete a project as lengthy as writing a novel. So what exactly does
it mean to persevere?
The definition of persevere is to stay steady on course
through difficulties and obstacles.
Shortly after beginning the novel, my
marriage slammed into a block wall and disintegrated. After picking myself up
from that unforeseen disruption, I shook off the dust and debris, cleared my
head, and continued to write and to study the craft of writing despite moving
to a new house, raising a teenage son, and learning to manage my finances on
one income.
Because I work full time in
accounting, the weekends are usually the only time that I can write. If I lose
writing time then it is difficult to make it up during the week unless I give
up my lunch break and write, which I’ve done, or give up a couple to three
hours of sleep to write, which I’ve done. Perseverance. It’s a painful,
exhausting word. But it produces rewards.
I set out to write a novel, but in
the process I’ve been drawn to other types of writing that have produced fruit
along the way, one of which is this blog. Writing for the blog keeps my writing
muscle strengthened and provides a way to communicate with my readers! And though
I take time to write for this blog as well as pen a devotion now and then, still,
I plug along on the novel, slow and steady, plotting, writing, re-writing,
editing, and writing some more. Perseverance pushes me through the derailments,
distractions, detours, and discouragements.
So how do you develop perseverance?
