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I’m staring at a rollercoaster.

It’s tall and scary, and every minute or so, I hear a chorus of screams that quickly fades away.

From where I sit, I have a perfect view of the cars climbing up to the big drop. And, because I’m me, I suddenly thought: Isn’t writing kinda like this?

Waiting in line

Stick with me here. You start with all the waiting, right? It’s horrible. You get an awesome story idea, but you have to wait until you’re done with all of your current writing projects before you can get to it.

It’s just like waiting in line. You see the ride right there, but you know you’re still so far from it. It takes a lot of self-discipline to simply jot down a story idea and shelve it for later. New may be exciting, but if you dropped every current project for a new one, you’d never get anything done.

On the ride

Finally, you’re there. You strap in. You feel jitters of excitement as the coaster jerks forward. This is where you’re plotting – yes, even if you’re a pantser. Your thoughts are filled with your new idea. You can’t stop thinking about it and you’re constantly writing down scraps of dialogue or backstory.

This is the climb. That fear-inducing yet exciting sensation as you see the whole world beneath you and realize you’re about to plunge straight down into it. You’re about to commit yourself to writing an entire book, and it’s thrilling.

The drop

The peak. You start writing, heart pumping, finally letting out that glorious idea on paper (or computer)…

And then you fall. You swerve through twists and turns. You may even go backwards or upside down. It’s totally unpredictable; even if you’ve been on the coaster a few times, there’s still something to surprise you.

Enjoy the ride

Do you see where I’m going with this? The writing process is always brand new no matter how many times you’ve done it before. It will – literally, in this analogy – throw you for a loop (or two or three). It will not go how you expect.

So, then, you have two choices. You can move with the curveballs and grin, enjoying the ride (and maybe screaming with terror a bit, too) or you can be one of those stone-faced people sitting emotionless beside you on a coaster. The one that makes you wonder, “This is so fun, how can they not react?!”

Choose to enjoy the ride. It may take you to places you never expected, but it’ll be worth it in the end.

Happy writing!
-E.J.

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Photo by Stephen Hateley on Unsplash