KEEPING IT LIT

by Kathy Cannon Wiechman

Today's post is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group.


Olympic gold-medalist Mary Lou Retton said, “Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and keep it lit.”

artwork from http://thepapist.org/love-wind-and-fire/

I've watched friends and family struggle to find their “Something.”

One writer friend illustrated many successful books before she decided to write them. A few of the books she wrote were published and successful, but as the business became more and more cutthroat, she looked for something new. She turned to music, then crocheting, then jewelry making. She stayed in creative fields, while she searched for the one which would fuel her fire.

Another friend, whose first novel was very good, but not published, began a second novel. She began more than one second novel, but never finished any of them. Her flame struggled. She recently turned her creativity to quilting, and that fire is burning strong.

I found my “Something” at a very young age. I've been a writer since I was five. It’s what I love doing.

But, as my friends learned, sometimes that flame stands little chance in the face of forces that “throw water” on our work.

Some writing instructors and editors praise my work, which stokes my fire. Others dismiss me or ignore me, and the flames sputter.

The worst rejections come when editors praise and encourage and ask for revisions, building that fire strong. Then when my confidence is at his highest point, they get out the fire extinguisher and douse my ego. I am forced to wonder why I keep at it.

But deep within, I feel the warmth again. A spark inside me says, “Write, write.” I sign up for a workshop or just throw myself into a new writing project. I’ll come back to the rejected piece when the pain is less intense.

I have wonderful writer friends who help to keep me encouraged, but I've learned that the spark begins with ME. I’m happy when I’m writing, and I can’t let the nay-sayers extinguish my flame.

If your “Something” is writing, write! Feed the fire and keep it lit.