Future Days
“The future depends on what you do today.”
“If you have one foot in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow, you’re pissing all over today.”
Writing is an act of faith in tomorrow, but it can only be done today. In a word where satisfaction is tied to instant results (like likes, views, and shares on social media), no wonder many writers have trouble keeping going on their projects. Writing something like a novel is like waves hitting a rocky shore. At first, it’s rough and jagged, but eventually, the rocks become sand and there is a beautiful beach. We just assumed the beach has always been there, but time changes everything.
Did you know that the Appalachian Mountains were at one time the largest mountains in the United States if not, the entire world? Just because we didn’t see them in their previous state, doesn’t mean that they didn’t reach higher.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is that much unseen work goes into writing. Thinking about it, getting ideas down, fleshing out characters from just a basic profile to a deep expose of their hopes, dreams, fears, and past. And because this isn’t instant, many authors who are published for the first time are seen as “overnight successes” despite working on a novel for months if not years (if not decades).
So, why write? Like a fine wine, amazing things that are complex take time to grow. Without time, we wouldn’t have beaches (to drink aged wine from) or the oak tree giving me shade on this last day of summer.
There’s joy to be found in growth. As a child, sometimes I wanted to grow up. As an adult, sometimes I wish I was a child again. But through the journey, we learn and become a complete person. And as an adult, we can look back in our childhood in a different way (and enjoy an adult beverage while doing it.)