Writing with the world on fire

When I began writing The Jewelry of Grace in earnest, the experience was similar to when I wrote The Pride of Central. I would find gaps of time in my day, anywhere from ten minutes to an hour, and either outline or write the rough draft.

That was late 2019 and early 2020. But I was still in the later portions of the rough draft when Pennsylvania - yes, I'm a Keystone State native - started implementing shutdowns and various travel restrictions. It was hard to write while trying to figure out what we could and could not do to visit relatives or buy our groceries.

But after a couple of weeks, it appeared some extra time cooped up in our home would help my writing aspirations. I had fewer games to cover as a freelance sports writer - there were actually no events to cover by the end of March. The extra hours at home allowed me to have larger time frames for my rough draft and second draft.

But while time was on my side, the shutdown was not. Oh, we were okay financially, and no one in my family was sick. But there was a heaviness of spirit on everyone after a few weeks of isolation. Not being able to see family or friends wore on me, and I could see how it was wearing on everyone else too. Zoom and Facetime connections helped ease the burden, but did not eliminate it.

So while I had extra time to write, I also had extra time to overthink. That led to a writer's most dangerous enemy.

Not a lack of money - its always possible to earn more.

Not a lack of time - most schedules have some way they can be reworked.

Self-doubt. It is a nasty animal that does not have a quick way of being fended off. But during times of crisis, self-doubt can grow stronger rapidly.

While working on The Jewelry of Grace, the first story I've written in which romance drives a large portion of the plot, I had some doubts to begin with. Could I present a believable romance to the readers? Would I be able to make that romance convey a larger message, beyond the two characters involved?

Now, without the opportunity to talk to others face-to-face as I wrote, it was impossible to ease some of those doubts through routine conversation. Just talking for a bit about writing has eased my fears in the past. I could not do that through most of 2020.

So while I was able to finish the manuscript and have it edited before Thanksgiving, the efficiency of the writing came at a price. Writing The Jewelry of Grace was easier than writing The Pride of Central in terms of the physical act of typing it and the mental act of creating it. But The Jewelry of Grace was a much more difficult emotional burden. I doubted myself and the story from the beginning to end.

But here is what I learned from that: doubt is not a reason to stop. Whether you stop or continue a project, you will still have your doubts. But if you finish the project, you can go back and see if you were able to achieve your goals over your doubts.

The Jewelry of Grace won't be released until January, so I cannot tell yet how readers will respond to the romance in the story or the themes therein. But I could tell through my rounds of editing that the themes I wanted to place in the romance are present. The couple go through what I always intended for them to go through.

Whatever your feelings are about your own work, don't let doubt be a reason to stop. The events of 2020 have made all of our lives harder, but don't let them put an end to your goals.

Next week: A second book, but not a sequel (well, not really)