Finally Arriving...

It's been a long summer. My family found out in the late spring that we would be moving across the country. Filled with typical feelings of excitement and nervousness, we tried as best we could to prepare for the movers to come. But can one ever be truly prepared for an anticipated event of upheaval and change?

Writing a book is very similar. The long hours my family put in clearing the garage and slimming/trimming our belongings was a lot of work. Our muscles ached and we retired to bed each evening exhausted. But I'm thrilled to say all that work has now brought forth what we'd most hoped for; we're now in our new home in a wonderful location.

How much work have you put in on your most recent writing project? Your back muscles may not spasm from the effort (but then again, they might. Sitting in front of a pad of paper or the computer can be tiring!) Your neck may not experience muscle strain from lifting heavy items (but then again, it might. Writing can be a heavy process.).

The point is, a completed manuscript is much like prepping for a move. You first must put forth the effort to write the thing. Then comes the slimming and trimming of all those initial efforts. Days morph into weeks and some days you wonder if the mental "move" from brain to written page is worth it.

I'm here to tell you it is. Continue your work. One day you'll finally arrive at completed manuscript status (or in my situation, a new home). You'll be able to sit back and look at all those tired efforts and be grateful you continued moving forward. "Finally arriving" is more than worth both the physical and mental strain it may cause along the way.

So back to the computer let us go. Work, work, work. Write, write, write. Your final destination (called "completed manuscript") is calling you. And so is that feeling of having finally arrived.