Beginnings are hard, right?
1. They suck the life out of you. Day and night, you worry and stress and plot.
2. They're slow. (Enough said.)
3. They leave you teetering, questioning your choices. There's no balance to beginning something.
4. They take SO MUCH WORK!
5. You MIGHT succeed, and succeeding can be a lot scarier than failure.
Once you get moving, momentum grows.
“The hardest part is always the beginning, when you feel uncomfortable. Know that this is normal, and all you need to do is go against your emotions. ...face your fears, be uncomfortable, and experiment with different strategies until you find something that works.”
― Jamie Cooper, Albert Einstein: Extraordinary Life Lessons That Will Change Your Life Forever
In the last four years, I feel like I've started again about fifty times. But like Wright Brothers (who failed more times than I want to count, going through 200 different wing shapes for planes and risking everything while unemployed), we keep trying.
Because beginning something is easy. Seeing it through takes dedication, fortitude, and the willingness to start and start again.
This week, we are starting something NEW.
We're publishing the entire STAGED READING of our musical in 1 minutes episodes over the coming weeks. Subscribe so you don't miss out!
Our awesome co-hosts are Shannon Lawrence, Diedre Knight, Liza, and Pat Garcia!
Today's question: As a writer/author what is something you regret? Or something that you wish you'd done differently in your writing process?
I'm skipping this one, but I look forward to reading everyone's responses!
You're right, so many begin but that's as far as they get.
ReplyDeleteCool you are publishing the readings of your play.
And that drifting balloon is just creepy...
Yeah, I thought it was more depressing than creepy, but I can see it.
DeleteStarting new things is hard. I'm experiencing that myself right now.
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats/good luck on the play! Exciting!
And you're going to knock it out of the park, I'm sure! Here's sending cheese.
DeleteYou're right that starting something new is hard. Good luck with your current project for your play.
ReplyDeleteThank you! And soon we'll pivot and do something else new, eh? This is the way.
DeleteFeel the fear and do it anyway. (A great book by the way.) Congrats on the new venture with the play.
ReplyDeleteYES! If we don't push through, we get stopped at the gate and wonder what might have been. I think that's the biggest tragedy.
DeleteI am super impressed by all you do!
ReplyDeleteLikewise! You have a pretty awesome plate balancing gig.
Delete"Succeeding can be a lot scarier than failure."
ReplyDeleteThat line took me back to watching the sales dashboard of my debut novel. When the number suddenly shot up, I thought, "Yea! People are buying my book!" Then, "Oh no! People are going to read my book!" LOL
Congrats on the YouTube readings. Tempting rabbit hole when I should be writing. Ha!
Well, the videos are only a minute long each, so you know, not TOO much of a distraction. LOL!
DeleteBeginnings are definitely quite hard.
ReplyDeleteBut once you get the momentum going, they carry themselves, eh?
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI so agree. It is easier to begin something than to keep doing it, especially if you have been hit with a sickness that seems to suck up all your energy.
Wishing you all the best.
Shalom shalom
ESPECIALLY when you are being hit by sickness or other health challenges. I tell you what... Whew! We've definitely had our share of those.
DeleteIt's been so long since I've started anything new that I wonder if I even remember how to do it.
ReplyDeleteLove musical theater. Wishing you all the best with yours!
LOL! Well, you started a new day every day, so I will respectfully disagree with you. ;)
DeleteSuch true words, but if you don't constantly go after the new, you get stale and bored. I'm not saying anything you don't already know--live!
ReplyDeleteIt's true! Life is about change and growth and new adventures. There's no such thing as normal.
DeleteHi again, Crystal! Nice to "see" you again. For me, beginnings are the best part, at least when it comes to writing books. I love the start of a fresh story. If anything, it's the murky middles where I run into trouble. Good luck with your musical! It takes guts to post things online, especially creative work.
ReplyDelete*waves* Middles are hard too. But I feel like once you've started into something, that motivation carries you through the middles slog. Hopefully.
DeleteLoved this post, Crystal! Funny and wise!
ReplyDeleteThank you! We have to laugh at ourselves...or else we cry, eh?
DeleteGood luck with the new short episodes, given the attention span of today's generations, that is the only way to do it! Not that I don't vent out on YouTube cooks whose videos are longer than three minutes LOL
ReplyDeleteLOL! It's true. People just can't stay focused for long periods anymore. Long gone are the days of 7 minute attention spans (thank you, commercial breaks).
DeleteThis post reminds me of Brene Brown talking about the discomfort and imposter syndrome we experience with FFTs (or effing first times). She said we sometimes try to avoid first experiences or beginnings, but FFTs are the special sauce of life. I enjoy musical theater. Two of my favorite musicals are Les Mis and Starlight Express.
ReplyDeleteToo true! Those first experiences are blessings full of learning. And we shouldn't fear them.
DeleteLes Mis! It used to be one of my favorites, but it's too hard to watch. I LOVE the book. Fiddler is my top -- along with Phantom.
I had to chuckle at all of these, but fearing success made me laugh out loud! How true.
ReplyDeleteHonestly! But you're a great example of pressing through, Lee -- and adapting to the changes as they come.
DeleteFor me, the middle is always harder than the beginning. I get so excited to start something new, and often the first chapter comes to me. Not that I revise it plenty later. But being like the Wright Brothers is great inspiration!
ReplyDeleteI get that. I should whip out my post about sagging middles some time here soon, but I think a lot of people get scared before they ever take the first leap.
DeleteI am a big believer in Newton's first law. Once in motion, it's easy to keep going, but getting started IS hard.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! I've witnessed this again and again through our homeschooling efforts. It's much easier to keep the kids moving than to stop and start again.
DeleteI'm afraid of starting new things. Change scares me. But I guess I should, at least sometimes. I wish you all the luck with your new, one-minute episode endeavor. Sounds fascinating.
ReplyDeleteNew things can be scary, but that's how we truly live, right? Taking chances, getting messy?
DeleteThank you for your reminder about the challenges facing us writers when we start something new! Very timely for me as I'm embarking on a brand new story. I don't even know the characters or even the basic plot line, but there's something there that keeps drawing me in. And so we persevere! Keep writing!
ReplyDeleteOoh! Sending lots of cheese! You've got this, Beth.
DeleteCrystal, I really love this post! Humorous and so needed! Laughter is very good medicine, thank you so much for sharing, dear friend!
ReplyDeleteYou're not kidding! If we didn't laugh, we'd die, right?
DeleteThis was such an enjoyable and informative article to read. I really appreciate how clearly the topic has been explained without making the information feel complicated or difficult to follow. The details, explanations, and overall presentation make the post genuinely useful for readers who want to understand the subject better. I also liked how naturally the article flows from one point to another, keeping the reader interested throughout. It is clear that a good amount of thought and effort has gone into putting this content together. Posts like this are valuable because they provide useful information while still being pleasant and easy to read. Definitely a great piece of content, and I look forward to reading more articles like this in the future.
ReplyDelete... Cheese for you?
DeleteWhat a terrific post! I've enjoyed it all ;-)
ReplyDeleteDetermination, once you get going, really is key to a successful process.
Have you read The Bad Weather Friend (Koontz)?
Happy August!
Ooh! I LOVE Koontz, but no, I haven't read that one. I'm going to have to check it out.
DeleteWhat a fun way to describe this phenomenon that we all go through. I enjoyed this post.
ReplyDeleteAs much as we'd like to escape it... Right?! There is no escape. Haha!
DeleteStarting is the hardest part for sure!
ReplyDeleteYup. Meaning we should always grant ourselves a little grace while attempting it, eh?
DeleteStarting is always the hardest part. Once you get rolling though, that's where the magic happens. The beginning is daunting for sure and I usually end up writing it several times before it feels right. Thanks for the fun post.
ReplyDeleteI hear that! There was one book I started in 7 different places, trying to find the right spot for the beginning. It's a tricky art, eh?
DeleteStarting things is hard. My particular brand of neurospicy has issues with that. I'm working on it. Or rather, working up to it.
ReplyDeleteAnd that of itself is a beginning. Baby steps, eh? Sometimes we have to work our way up to the starting line.
DeleteBeginning is so hard! But then, I did hear a famous author speaking the other day, and he was saying that, unlike other professions where you gain mastery with time, writing never gets any easier!
ReplyDeleteI believe it! I keep thinking this time the words will just flow. Haha! Well, sometimes they do. Take that, famous author. (And then I edit the life out of them.)
DeleteHello Crystal! I actually like starting new things, I think that’s my biggest regret is that I am unable to have the patience to see them through at the point when you need to see them through and you have to keep trying and banging on doors and pushing no matter how pointless it all seems. That’s the point where I give up and start another new thing! However, I’m going to a new thing tonight and I’m a little bit nervous about. I’m going to a free verse poetry class and I’ve never really got to grips with free verse because there are no rules which makes me feel left out in the wild. There must be some rule? So, I’m off to tread into unknown waters!
ReplyDeleteLOL! You should see how many books I have sitting in my computer. When I get bored with one, or just don't love it for the moment, I bounce to another. Occasionally, I even finish one.
DeleteI hope your poetry adventures go well. Knowing you, they're going to be a wild ride anyway. ;)
So true that sometimes succeeding is scarier! I sometimes struggle with which project to start first, but ultimately it's just starting *something* that makes a difference.
ReplyDeleteIt's true. We can second guess until the day is over.
DeleteSounds like an interesting idea to post one minute shorts of your play. Yeah, new stuff are scary...
ReplyDeleteAttention spans are shrinking. Sadly. You ahve to do what you have to do, eh?
DeleteThanks for stopping by my blog. I enjoyed this post. It's entertaining and insightful. I think it's cool you guys are releasing 1 minute clips of your play. Will have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteYou know, that's how we get people. Anyone can afford one minute, right?
DeleteYes beginning anything new without knowing how it will turn out can be quite stress inducing. Good luck with all your new adventures
ReplyDeleteThank you, Connie! So true. Thank goodness we can always start fresh, eh?
DeleteI love the challenge of starting something new....but after a while I have to remind myself that when it gets tough that I chose to do it.
ReplyDeleteI hear that! And then I question if it's worth the aggravation, and most times it is.
DeleteI'm just in awe that you've written a musical. You rock, woman:)
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks, Sandra. I think in this day of AI it's a little less impressive...but we were AI free, so... Sending virtual cheese your way!
DeleteWow, I did not know starting anew is this hard
ReplyDeleteSometimes starting new things can be very hard indeed.
ReplyDeleteThey're slow. ikr, I'd rather watch snails race:)
ReplyDelete