On the Shelf
In October of this year I signed up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) with the intent to succeed at writing 50,000 words of a fiction story (way outside my comfort zone) to help me establish a habit of writing daily. I prepared by doing some research, making an outline, developing several characters that would be significant in the story. On November 1 I opened a new document on the computer and found the words did not flow from my mind to the page.
As I shared with my husband, Brian, my plans and my roadblock he replied with words I did not expect. “So you are going to start one more story and put it on the shelf too, like you did the one you began at the beginning of the year.
Not the encouragement I expected but it made me think. 
I left the room I cried and thought. What did I dream of accomplishing with the writing, my speaking, storytelling? What goals had I set or had I simply made excuses and put things on the shelf? Hard questions but good ones to consider. I reflected and journaled and realized that some of my hopes and dreams had been filed in a binder on the bookshelf to be considered later. Other things, like stories begun and not finished sat in files on the computer until I got back to them. Why? Life happened at times meaning the timing was not right. But for other things I let fear take hold. It became easier to shelve the possibilities and become busy with other tasks.
As I sat and contemplated that day, I realized how many times I put things off, set them on the shelf, often with the best intentions to go back and finish or pick up a dream a begin again.
The other remark my husband added that day, “You can’t edit words if you don’t write something to begin with.”
How true. I need to write the story, no matter how disjointed, no matter how distracted I become before I can work at editing it until it is readable by others. In the same way, people can not ask me to come and speak, present workshops or tell stories if I do not do the work to let them know I am available.
It is time for me to look at the projects I have shelved and decide which fit with my dreams and goals. Then I need to take them down and use the resources, do the work and see where it leads.
Have you ever set something on the shelf, either figuratively or literally, planning to come back to it shortly? How long has it stayed shelved? Are you ready to take it down and reexamine it. Maybe the time to do it is now.
Preacher and author Vance Havner wrote,
“The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps – we must step up the stairs.”
I have begun the journey up the stairs – how about you?
Posted: November 24th, 2016 under Uncategorized.