Wounds: we all get them.
During the 1988 Jamboree encampment of 32,000 Boy Scouts, one troop (38 Scouts) led the entire Jamboree in cuts treated at the medical tent.
The huge number of nicks from busy knives sounded negative until someone toured the camp and saw the unique artistic walking sticks each boy in that troop had made. They led the entire encampment in other kinds of games, too.
Wounds simply mean that you’re in the game. It’s true for Boy Scouts—and it’s true for writers as well.
What Wounds?
I know an excellent writer who has revised a book for years. But she won’t submit it, even though everyone who has read it feels the book is ready. What benefit does she get from that? She never has to face rejection. She never has to hear an editor say, “This is good, but it needs work.” She never has to read a bad review of her book, or do any speaking engagements to promote her work, or learn how to put together a website.
She will also never feel the exhilaration of holding her published book in her hands. She won’t get letters from readers who tell her how much her book means to them and has helped them. She won’t get a starred review or win an award or do a book signing. She won’t move on and write a second (and third and fourth) book.
Paying the Price
If you want to be a writer, you have to risk a few wounds. Figure out ways to bandage them and recover from them, but don’t be afraid of getting them. They’re simply a sign that you’re a writer.
Make a list of the parts of the writing life that make you want to stay on the sidelines and out of the line of fire. It might be a fear of rejection, a fear of approaching editors or agents at a conference, fear of online harassment on social media, fear of walking into a writing group for the first time, fear of your mother’s reaction to your novel, fear of bad reviews, or something else. There are books out there for writers dealing with all of these things. Identify your issues, deal with them, and then get in the game!
And later, wear your battle scars proudly!
I don’t see a “Like” button on your blog. Perhaps I’m blind??? At any rate, I certainly have a few battle scars so guess that means I’m “in the game.”
I hope this posts. Just noticed that your comment didn’t clear. I don’t think my blog ever had a ‘like’ button. It just has those sharing buttons, unless you ‘like’ the blog post when it shows up on Facebook or Twitter. But yes, you’re in the game too!!!
I like that ! Wounds from the game of writing: Earning battle scars. It seems to point to me too. I’m might be in the game soon but when not sure. I’m having trouble deciding which way to go in my tax. Should I be a Sole Proprietorship or a Single member LLC OR just a regular guy paying with my SS number on my taxes. Kristi Holl can you help me on this ? Matters like this stop me cold from publishing my book.
George, I’m probably not a good person to ask. I started publishing in the 80s when it was all very simple. There was no self-publishing, no incorporating, etc. You just sold your book to a New York publisher who paid you for it, and then you went on to write your next book. Back then, you just paid Uncle Sam quarterly taxes using your social security number. I have continued to do that since the beginning. I don’t have a tax man, although every year I think I probably should consult someone to make sure I’m getting all the deductions I am allowed. I wish I could be more help to you on this. I would consult a tax person, if I were starting out these days, or a professional writers’ group online where you can post a question about this.