Being Present

I am always looking forward to a different part of the writing process.

Yet, when I get there, I find myself looking forward to the next part.

I am popping in to your feed today to give you a quick message about this mentality.

When I look back at the times in my life when I got the most joy out of my writing, it was always when I wasn’t trying to get somewhere. It was when I was just… enjoying where I was.

I think this is what a lot of beginner writers get right: they just enjoy where they are and have fun writing. It’s only later down the road that we begin considering publishing, what other people might think, and all sorts of things that can crush our heart and soul.

I struggled a lot in 2020 with my writing. At the beginning of the year, I finally acknowledged how miserable I was while trying to write The Storm Inside, and I set the story to rest. After that, I couldn’t decide what to write.

When I finally landed definitively on a story, though, it was mid-April.

And, for the first time in years… I had a blast while writing.

I would wake up and be excited to get up, just to write that book. I would make time in between school and life and everything else just to work on it more.

The next time I enjoyed the process of writing a manuscript was in November, during NaNoWriMo. It wasn’t the same feeling, but I couldn’t help but keep thinking, “Someday, I’ll look back on this, and feel nostalgic about it. I’ll miss this. I’ll look back on it as something I loved doing.” So, I did my best to enjoy it.

And you know what?

I was totally right. I do look back fondly at that point in time.

Which makes me glad that I mindfully chose to enjoy it the way I did.

That’s the thing: there will always be another thing for you to get to. That’s good; it gives you a goal, and something to reach for a grow to. But you shouldn’t pursue that to the point of sacrificing your own joy.

So, enjoy the moment; wherever you are, see how much joy you can get out of it. Romanticize it: make yourself a cup of coffee or tea, eat a treat while you work on it, or put on your favourite playlist. Do something that will make you enjoy the process more.

My tagline on this blog is A Writer’s Journey. So, consider this my small reminder to you to enjoy your own journey. Even when it’s hard. 😊

I’m currently struggling a little bit with my writing, so this was kind of my reminder to myself to enjoy my own journey. 😂 I’d rather look back and see how I was happy, even during the difficult parts, than recall misery, you know?

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If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:

How to Find Happiness Despite the Chaos

Why You Shouldn’t Actually Listen to Writing Blogs (But Also Should)

Why You Need to Focus on Joy in Your Writing {Every Writer is Different} {Case Study}

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Have a great day, my friend; write on.

Where are you right now in your own writing process?

What is the happiest time you have ever had while writing something?

How do you like to romanticize your own writing?

-Julia