I went for a walk a couple days ago, but this is really nothing new. Since I’ve been working from home in 2020 I’ve walked over 330 miles. But I was thinking this morning about this book I’m outlining, and how frustrated I’m feeling that the outline isn’t done yet, and I remembered going for that walk.
When I started the outline at the end of October,I gave myself a three day deadline to get it done so I could write the book during NaNoWriMo. I missed that deadline. That didn’t happen.
Then I thought I would have it done within the first three or four days of November, giving myself an outside shot at still completing NaNoWriMo. I mean, judging from my last book, once I have an outline I can power through the words. But that also didn’t happen.
Today is November 11th, a full two weeks after I started working on this outline, and I’m still not done. And try as I might to be ok with it, I’m feeling frustrated.
What I’m trying to keep in mind as I work through this outline is that walk I took, just two days ago. It was beautiful.
What I’m trying to keep in mind is that writing a book is a process. No matter if it’s working on an outline, writing the first draft, editing, formatting, whatever. There are a lot of steps I need to take to create a book for you to read.
Just like there are a lot of steps I need to take to walk over 330 miles this year.
Were all of them beautiful like a couple days ago? Not all of them, no, but some where. And they were all necessary.
Just like writing this outline is necessary. Maybe it’s not the most beautiful part of the process, but it’s an important part, and I’ll get through it, and I’ll write the book.
One step at a time, and then another.