Nancy Julien Kopp draws from her growing-up years in Chicago and many more years living in the Flint Hills of Kansas for her essays, stories, poems, and articles. Her work is  in eight Chicken Soup for the Soul books plus other anthologies, magazines, newspapers, and ezines. Nancy is a former teacher who still enjoys teaching through the written word.

 

 

A Two-Sided Coin

 

By Nancy Julien Kopp

 

 

Daily Devotions For Writers  rests next to my printer, where I can reach it easily every morning before beginning to work. The writer’s life lessons the book contains offer advice, relate trials and also inject a bit of humor. Some of the writers talk of a revelation that came when least expected. Most of the devotions include a scripture verse and/or a prayer—sometimes a quote.

After reading the daily devotional book for a few months, a pattern appeared to emerge in the guise of a two-sided coin. On one side of the coin, I sensed frustration from so many of the writers. It appears to be a universal theme for both seasoned and new writers. But flip the coin over, and satisfaction is evident.

Novice writers may experience frustration far more often than satisfaction. It takes perseverance and patience to traverse the tunnel of disappointment. Doesn’t every writer dream of instant success? When rejection letters pile up faster than election campaign literature, what’s a writer to do? Confidence levels fall with alarming speed when new or even long-time writers  fail to meet with some success. Doubt pays daily visits, and if a writer chooses to entertain him, he’ll stay.

Believe in yourself and your work. If you have something to say, a story that will entertain or to make a difference in the lives of others, don’t let the early-days frustrations get you down. Make marketing lists, and work your way down that list until you either find an editor to accept a particular story, article, poem, or novel chapters, or you have exhausted the list. If every editor you’ve selected rejects your submission, it’s time to take a new look and determine why the piece didn’t sell. Make some revisions and try again. It’s rarely easy to look at your own work objectively, but it’s possible, and it will be to your advantage to do so.

Lack of time to write is one common frustration. Life tends to get in our way. Occasionally, the writer permits that to happen, for what better way to postpone a project that’s not coming easily? A serious writer creates time to write. Frustration also occurs when an idea forms in the mind but won’t translate into the printed word. The road from the brain to the fingers is not always smooth.

Once in awhile, a writer finishes an article or story, puts it aside for the required seasoning of a few days, then brings it out again only to find that it doesn’t say what she wanted to say at all. In fact, the writer is disgusted with the piece and is ready to hit the delete button. This is the very reason writing books and editors advise setting a finished piece of writing aside for a few days. The writer then reads it with a new perspective, sees with different eyes,  and gains satisfaction from the process of improvement. Isn’t it better that she didn’t dash off that piece, call it finished, then send it off to an editor immediately? More than likely, it would have come flying back with a form rejection letter. Avoid this kind of frustration by allowing yourself some time between a partially finished and a truly completed piece.

While frustration often looms over a writer’s head, it’s not all bad. Beneficial lessons present themselves through the haze of the stress involved. It’s up to the writer to discern the positive angles. Face your frustrations with open eyes and a willingness to turn them to your advantage.

One of the best parts of being a writer comes with the publication of your work. It’s comparable to a gift placed in a golden box and tied with a silver bow, your name on top. Here’s where the satisfaction side of the coin shows up. No matter how many times your work is published, it’s a pleasure. It definitely erases some of that frustration, which never disappears completely but can diminish and become less important with each success.

Sometimes satisfaction comes from the fulfillment of achieving that completed story, novel, article or essay. Many writers begin a project and never finish. I’m willing to guess that most writers have folders with half-done projects. But it’s those completed pieces that allow satisfaction to enfold us like a soft, silken shawl. Revel in it when it occurs.

What joy we feel when inspiration hits while we’re doing a mundane household task, or driving a carpool. Maybe a character begins to form in your mind while you’re waiting for a bus, or a word you’ve sought reveals itself during a conversation with a friend.

Another form of satisfaction comes when an editor assigns a project and we manage to  return it completed with all points covered. Writing on speculation is much easier than writing to a specified set of objectives. For assigned articles, a writer must do the research, write a first draft, revise and edit her work, then check to see if she’s covered everything asked for. Including all requested points requires good concentration and writing skill, so any satisfaction at the end is well-earned.

Escape into another world while writing is one more form of satisfaction. While writing, we create a place of refuge, creativity, and personal meditation that can prove emotionally fulfilling.

I will continue reading the daily offerings in the devotional book for writers, and I am certain I’ll continue to learn from other writers’ frustrations, as well as enjoy the happiness that shines through when they are satisfied. I  plan to keep the satisfaction side of the coin face up. It’s a lot more fun than the other side and is bound to make me a more productive, more creative writer.