When the writer decided to submit her writing, something happened to her. She was filled with doubts. What had once been an exhilarating (at times) writing experience, now became drudgery. She questioned herself as she finished each scene of a story. Had she included enough action in her stories, or were they dull? Was her story too brief, or could she have added more chapters? Had she put in too much description, often reading like “flowery prose” or did she need more description in her scenes, to make them come alive for readers?
These questions bounced around in the writer’s head, zapping all the previous enjoyment out of her writing experience. She began thinking of the well-loved story about a little girl named Goldilocks, who took a lovely walk one day and ended up in the home of a bear family. If you’re familiar with the story, you know that Goldi tried out the family’s chairs, beds, and even their breakfast they’d left cooling on the table while they enjoyed a walk that morning. Our heroine wasn’t satisfied with the original items she tried in the bears’ home. The chairs were either too big or too little, until she sat in one that was just right. The beds were too hard or too soft, until one was just right. The porridge was either too hot or too cold, until one bowl was just right.
As writers, we can easily slip into the Goldilocks Syndrome, trying and trying to get our stories “just right” but in the process never being satisfied, feeling frustrated, and never releasing them. We’ve all heard the advice that at some point, we must let our stories go. Yes, easier said than done. But we don’t want to reach the point where our writing is a headache-inducing chore and we dread our writing time each day. Sure, it’s hard work. Very hard at times. Yet we can still find joy in our writing, and pray that our writing brings joy into our readers’ lives.
If you’ve ever held onto a story for a long, long time, you may have experienced well-meaning family and friends, their surprised faces not unlike the bear family when they discovered Goldilocks asleep in Mama Bear’s bed. They may say something similar to: “You still haven’t finished that story? When will it be ready?” So after we’ve written and rewritten, polished and made our stories the very best they can be, we do need to release them and move on. There are more adventures just waiting to be written, and many happy hours of writing ahead.
Thank you for bearing with me for this post. 😉 Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to have a bowl of porridge—I mean oatmeal—as I happily contemplate ideas for future stories. 😊
Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. Proverbs 16:3
Sadie's Dream
In a coastal Georgia town in 1900, a young woman prepares to serve as a missionary in Africa.
After being jilted the previous year, she's certain she's meant to remain single.
When she meets a handsome businessman from Savannah, she begins struggling with doubts.
Over time she learns that the Lord's plans are best, and dreams really can come true.
She loves connecting with readers and other writers, and can be found on Facebook at Author Patti Jo Moore or her personal blog at http://catmomscorner.blogspot.com
