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Patricia Lynne, Young Adult Author

IWSG - Own Your Writing Journey

10/1/2014

34 Comments

 
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Today marks the one year anniversary of the IWSG website. To celebrate, the IWSG team is putting together an anthology of members, giving encouragement and support. There was a moment, when I thought I wasn't going to be able to participate. Life was butting in and in the worst way possible. So I decided to go with that and here's my words of wisdom about making your writing path yours and why you should never feel guilty about doing it your own way.

Writers write. It’s something we’ve all be told. And when the stars align, the words practically fly from our fingertips. All the while, the real world ceases to exist. Dishes go unwashed, the laundry piles up, and family members whine about dinner needing made. You don't care though. There are paper plates to eat on, wear that shirt again, and order pizza. You are in a fantastic land, battling evil. You don't have time for those menial things.

​But sometimes life isn't menial. Sometimes life happens in ways you can’t ignore. Your characters are clamoring in your head, demanding you tell their story, but the boss at your day job needs you in ASAP on your day off and for the rest of the week, or your child has a fever and needs to see a doctor, or there's a family emergency and you need to drive/fly to your sister and figure things out. You struggling to find the time to write, and often, you feel guilty because you see other writers juggling the more demanding aspects of life and writing with ease. Why can't you do the same as Jane Doe Big Shot Author? She has five kids, a part time job, cooks dinner every night and at a soup kitchen, and cranks out a story a week. Does she even sleep?!

Here's the thing though. Who cares if Jane Doe Big Shot Author does all that? That's HER journey. This is yours. You have to find your own writing path and what works for YOU. If you can write every day, great! If not, that's okay too. The words are what's important. Your best writing will happen when you figure out what gets you in the zone. Don't try to make yourself fit into every box. Push yourself, but if you find something, no matter how hard you try, isn't helping you be productive then ditch it. It's only hindering your story. Never let yourself get bogged down with guilt because the author next to you seems to be doing better. They aren't. They are on this trip the same as you and have figured out their path. Instead, go find your own, own it and make it yours. Only then will your writing truly flourish.

IWSG has permission to reprint this post in their anthology.
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About: Patricia Lynne is a YA author of two books, Snapshots and Being Human, has a fondness for dying her the color of the rainbow, and one day would like to have enough pets to resemble a petting zoo.

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34 Comments
Tui Snider link
10/1/2014 01:23:26 am

Great post!

Even though I know better, I still sometimes fall into the dastardly pit of comparison. What a crappy place!

Your post dovetails into a thought that flickered through my sleepy head this morning, about how writers inadvertently become mindfulness practitioners because in order to write well, we have to know ourselves well.

Happy writing! :)

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Patricia Lynne link
10/1/2014 05:37:00 am

There's lots of pits I fall into. That's why I wanted to write this post for the anthology. I can't be the only one out there stressing about these things and everyone should know it's okay to do it your own way.

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EE Giorgi link
10/1/2014 02:54:23 am

I completely agree. And it's not just that every author has to find his/her own path, it's also every book, as what works for one book might not work for the next and you have to learn it all over again. It never gets boring, does it :-)

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Patricia Lynne link
10/1/2014 05:43:49 am

That was something I definitely learned with my second book.

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Mary Pax link
10/1/2014 04:36:57 am

I struggle with the zone often. Gah! It's true we all have our own journey and process. We have to learn to make peace with ourselves. Signed up for trick or treating! Great hop idea!

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Patricia Lynne link
10/1/2014 05:44:43 am

It is so important we make peace with ourselves. Otherwise, we waste so much true potential.
Yay, I'm glad. =)

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Brandon Ax link
10/1/2014 06:09:30 am

It is for sure about finding your own journey. Staying at it is the most important part. Being able to shut things out I believe is an art form lol.

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Patricia Lynne link
10/3/2014 02:18:20 am

Staying on the journey is important and difficult. Lots of things try to derail you.

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Diane Burton
10/1/2014 06:21:04 am

I learned early on in my career not to compare myself to other writers. It only makes your stomach ache. We never know what they're going through in their personal lives. Go your own route and enjoy the journey.

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Patricia Lynne link
10/3/2014 02:19:21 am

Exactly. I know some people can juggle more than others, but others may also have circumstances that allow them to really crank out the words. We really don't know how others are doing. Only ourselves.

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Cherie Reich link
10/1/2014 06:25:10 am

Wonderful post, Patricia! It's so true we each have our own paths. No two are alike, and we have to find what works best for us.

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Patricia Lynne link
10/3/2014 02:19:53 am

Thanks, Cherie.

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Anna link
10/1/2014 06:34:16 am

Words to live by. I guess that's why we each get a drum. :-)

<a href="http://emaginette.wordpress.com/2014/10/01/iwsg-6-writing-the-complete-thought"> Anna from Shout with Emaginette</a>

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Patricia Lynne link
10/3/2014 02:20:28 am

Yup. Now, where's my drum. ;)

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Alex J. Cavanaugh link
10/1/2014 07:01:44 am

That's right! Well said. Doesn't matter what someone else is doing. This is OUR journey.
Thanks for contributing to the book.

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Patricia Lynne link
10/3/2014 02:20:51 am

Glad to be a part of it and IWSG.

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Holli link
10/1/2014 07:51:34 am

I completely agree. I know a writer who's always falling to pieces because she keeps comparing herself to others. It's a losing battle. One, you'll always find someone who's more successful, and two, you have no idea what that person is struggling with.

All that energy is better off focusing on your own work and making it as good as possible. Great post!

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Patricia Lynne link
10/3/2014 02:21:51 am

Every time I compare myself, no writing gets done. It is a losing battle.

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Susan Gourley link
10/1/2014 09:01:38 am

I remind myself of this all the time. I can't write as fast as some writers I know and my first drafts aren't as near to perfect but I'm becoming more comfortable with my process and not comparing it to others.

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Patricia Lynne link
10/3/2014 02:23:32 am

That's good to hear! Embrace your own writing path. =)

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Lynda R Young link
10/1/2014 09:37:52 am

This is a great addition to our book. While it's interesting to learn about how other authors got to where they are, we need to take our own path.

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Patricia Lynne link
10/3/2014 02:24:55 am

That's why I really wanted to get this post written in time. Advice on writing is always great, but I think it's an important reminder to remember to figure out what works best for ourselves.

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S. Katherine Anthony link
10/1/2014 12:57:08 pm

I was working on a similar post, not anywhere close to this awesomeness lol Love it! I know better not to compare my zone with others, especially since my zone belongs to my toddlers, but still. Great reminder!!! :D

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Patricia Lynne link
10/3/2014 02:25:42 am

Awww, I'm glad you think my post was awesome. You gave me warm fuzzies, and it is cold and rainy and I need warm fuzzies!

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VR Barkowski link
10/1/2014 01:34:48 pm

Absolutely. Every path is unique. I'm a pantser, who edits as I go. I never just sit down and type unless I'm trying to get a list of ideas on paper before they're forgotten. I've been told since day one I'm not supposed to write this way. After five years, I stopped listening.

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Patricia Lynne link
10/3/2014 02:26:31 am

Good. Keep not listening. Especially if this works for you.

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Suzanne Furness link
10/1/2014 04:31:22 pm

This is a great motivational post and one that will be a fantastic addition to the anthology. Constantly comparing ourselves to others will, inevitably, lead to feelings of failure and frustration. We have to take our own path and find a way that works for us as individuals.

Great to visit and meet you as co-host of IWSG this month.

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Patricia Lynne link
10/3/2014 02:27:07 am

Glad I could contribute. =)

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Madeline link
10/1/2014 10:39:07 pm

Great point about not getting bogged down in guilt because we're not doing as much as this person or that person. We have to find and do what works for us.

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Patricia Lynne link
10/3/2014 02:27:46 am

Thanks, Madeline. =)

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Stephanie Holland link
10/2/2014 12:49:41 pm

That's so true.... And as someone who's never "published" anything other than a blog, it's something I have to constantly remind myself. Thanks for sending that message out. I needed to hear it, again.

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Patricia Lynne link
10/3/2014 02:28:20 am

I'm glad I could help remind you. =D

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Nick Wilford link
10/3/2014 03:26:47 am

Great advice. Even if some other writers' progress might seem effortless, they're probably like swans that are peddling furiously under the surface. We're all figuring things out in our own way and we have to learn what works best for us.

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Mary Aalgaard link
10/5/2014 06:05:03 am

Yes, own your own writer journey. We're all different and have varied demands on our time. Great post.
<a href=http://www.playoffthepage.com>Play off the Page</a>

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