Love the process, not the goal. Bookdiary #3

Here we go. Almost 15.000 words and 50 pages written. 

It's almost 1/5th of the book. Crazy. Is it only February? 

For sure the more I write the better because there's much that will just not go into the final book because it is not moving the plot forward. Also, things will go out because they are just boring or not exciting enough. So there is for sure a lot to work to do after the story is written.

Currently, I am writing the end. The end? - Where is the structure? you must be thinking.

Yes, the end. And there is nothing wrong with it, I've been taught. If I had insights for the end of a novel, why not bring it to "paper". It's all about the content which matters in the beginning. The second stage is bringing structure into it.

There is currently so much content of "the end" in my head that maybe it turns out to be the middle part as well. Even better, for now, as I don't have an idea for the middle part. But no worries about that, ideas come and go.

The focus switched from writing a book (in the story) to a curious encounter with the past. Clara is about to break free of the past and move on to the present. It seemed that this was exactly what she needed a long time ago. The process of closing a chapter to let go is one which people rarely do.

I hope some of you will identify with Clara. Every one of us sometimes "lives" in the past with our mind wandering back and forth. Somehow we sometimes even stuck with our past memories and feel like there is no way out. 

I'm really curious about the second stage - The Editing. 

But there is still loads and loads of time to go. My current planned publishing date is the end of the year. I try not to push myself too hard, I keep it as a hobby/ passion - for unfolding creativity reasons - but still try to continuously write to keep the routine and not lose track. I bought some used English novels to catch up the British slang and sayings. Also, I'm not quite sure about how conversations work. I am not quite sure about what length makes sense and how the characters can speak in an interesting way with more variety. Read, read, read, write, write, write. Hello to new routines :) 

To be honest, I usually do not read novels because my reading approach is more the "learning" over the "entertaining" part, but if this is necessary to contribute to my goal of writing a good book and if that's the way to accomplish than I am in it! I am learning to enjoy the process and not only seeing the goal.

As I listened to a couple of podcasts, I realized that.

Love the process instead of loving the goal.

I failed two times with that. Two times in marathons I was so close to reaching the finish line but failed shortly before. Twice. The reason why is I was only focusing on the goal. I did not spend enough in the training - which is the process. 

As I changed my perspective for the third trial, I finally made it to the finish line.

Learn to love the process, instead of focusing on the goal.

With writing a book there is a process too. The process is the writing, the research, the preparation, the reading of other books for inspiration, etc.

Why not learning from good writers, who are writing bestsellers? Why learn from scratch if you can learn from experts? With their advice, you save time and make a bit fewer mistakes compared to do it all on your own, right?

Hear you soon!