Who Should You Write For? #MondayMotivation

It’s been a little over a year since I graduated with my MFA in Creative Writing. And I’ve been blogging for almost 4 years. While I blog almost every day, I lack discipline when it comes to writing. Especially when it comes to the novel I started almost 10 years ago; I have over 100 pages written and a chapter excerpt has won a few awards including a Glimmer Train honorary mention. And then there’s my thesis…a collection of my best autism parenting essays/memoir. The finished thesis that allowed me to graduate but I still wasn’t 100% satisfied with. I was supposed to take this year to work on it and get it ready for submission. I haven’t returned to either project. Like I said, I lack discipline. (And truth be told, I don’t think I can get back to writing fiction, until I have completed my memoir.)   

In the last few weeks I’ve been trying to light the fire under my ass. I’ve been reading more. I spent an entire weekend creating a small work space. Because writing while sitting on the sofa in front of the TV ain’t cutting it. I registered for the Las Comadres Latino Writers Conference in NYC (in September) and scheduled time to meet with an editor and agent. (In preparation for Las Comadres Latino Writers Conference, I’ve also started working on a query letter and thinking about my book proposal.)        

Writing is hard. Getting published is harder. Sometimes I doubt my ability. Other times I doubt other people’s interest in my writing. Would people really buy a book I’ve written? 

Yeah…totally not the mindset of someone hoping to write/finish/publish a book. 

I gathered some of my books on writing and placed them on my desk – where they are within eye view from the moment I wake up. One of those books is On Writing Well by William Zinsser. I’m rereading it now to help me get back into writing. It has been exactly the book I needed to get motivated. 

If you write for yourself, you’ll reach the people you want to write for.  — William Zinsser

During my moments of doubt, I have to remember why I started blogging. I have to recall Zinsser’s words. 

When Norrin was first diagnosed, I couldn’t relate to anything I read about autism. I started writing for myself because it was what I needed to read. And if I needed my words in order to move on, then maybe someone else will need them too.