Ever take on a project that just might be more than you had planned? At first, you couldn't wait to work on it, but then you began to realize that there's no way you can complete it.
As a writer, I have been there.
Some projects are simple: A low word count book that follows a "formula" of Act I, II, and III with an uncomplicated conclusion.
Voila!
You're done, get it edited, revise, upload, hit publish and there it is! A completed project.
Other projects, however, require more thought, effort, time, and determination.
Up Hill
Running on a flat surface is a piece of cake. As a runner of many marathons, the words "flat course" when describing a race is heaven to us runners. No one enjoys running uphill. it is a challenge, but boy does it take its toll on the body.
Same with some writing projects. They just seem uphill all the way! Why is that?
Research: You've heard the saying, "Write what you know" because that's the easy way to do it. But some projects require some research and that can cause a writer to freeze up. The cognitive dissonance almost paralyzes us! Procrastination wins.
Critique: I have writer friends who are blessed to have a FREE (free as in cost as well as in availability) critique group help them brainstorm a project from beginning to end. I have never had such a blessing. I guess I came into this writing game too late, but it seems all the critique groups are full and not receiving "new patients" at this time! LOL
Bummer. I could really use the help getting through my current project. I may have bitten off more than I can chew! It would help to sit with a writer familiar with the genre I'm writing and provide some pointers. Nothing makes you stop writing faster than when you realize that you may not know what the heck you're writing! But to find a critique group today requires a lot of money: You have to register for a writers conference, pay for airline tickets, and hotel because hardly any conferences are in your neck of the woods, doncha know? And then pay for the critique. Ugh!! I get it, they are professionals who deserve to be paid for their time.
Personal Responsibilities:This hill gets me all the time. I tend to plan so many activities (running, writing, ministry, etc) that I don't have as much time to work on an uphill project. Why do I do this?? Probably because this project is so intimidating that, subconsciously, I don't want to work on it. Making myself busy is the perfect excuse!
But running uphill requires time, effort, and skill.There is a right way and wrong way to do it.
The right way leads to successfully reaching the top and celebrating the success!
The wrong way leads to pain...pain in the lungs, legs, and shins. Not knowing how to run uphill can lead to injury. And nothing ends a running career quite like injury.
As with writing, there is a way to conquer that hill succesfully!
First: running uphill requires that you are up on the balls of your feet, NOT leaning forward, and using of all the muscles of your legs. Why? Leaning forward flat on your feet will burn out your thighs and cause shin splints. Slightly leaning backwards while on the balls of your feet will cause your glutes, hamstrings, and calves to assist your thighs. This will result in lasting longer! Using your arms will drive you forward.
Second: This type of exercise is called "anaerobic." This means that this workout isn't intended to build up cardiovascular health. Because you are running uphill, your breathing will be shorter, you'll be taking in less oxygen. As a result, your muscles won't receive as much oxygen rich blood! But, on the plus side, you'll burn more sugar and fat in addition to oxygen. This type of workout is an excellent way to break out of a slump and boost your metabolism (how quickly you burn calories) from a plateau to super fast!
Warning: Because you are working those muscles, lungs, and your heart...this workout is not something you should do everyday. It breaks down a lot of muscle, so it requires rest! After running uphill for more than 20 minutes, you should spend 24 hours resting, consume protein, and stretch sore muscles. Doing this will help your muscles rebuild which means you will avoid injury.
See how this all applies to writing as well?
An intimidating writing project shouldn't be entered into lightly. It will cause more stress and require more of a commitment than those shorter, lower word count projects.
These big projects require more assistance. Like uphill running requires help from just one set of muscles, these writing projects require help from other writers. Without that assistance, the project will become overwhelming and make you want to quit.
I know from experience.
Running is a solo sport, as with writing. It is just you at the computer pouring your heart out into words that you hope will inspire others. We write to be read, after all.
The toughest marathon I ever ran was the Marine Corps Marathon back in 2014. The first 7 miles of that race were uphill. Ouch!! That was one intimidating project!
But because I knew how to run hills, I knew how to train for that race. I trained, rested, and prepared my body (as well as my mind...) and finished that race successfully.
I know this current Work-in-Progress is an uphill climb, but I am fully prepared for it. I pray I get the assistance that I need. I'm hoping to participate in a FREE critique group this summer. Hopefully, I'll be able to get up this hill once and for all. It hasn't been easy.
What about you? How do you get up those hilly projects? What do you do to prepare?
What it all comes down to is to keep going. Pushing through the hard times is what makes completion so satisfying! You can look back, hold up the project, and say, "I did that!"
So, keep writing...keep running...and never give up!
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