The Journey and The Prize

Sometimes I think about the prize (novel publication, writing as a career) more than the journey. I wonder, when will I get there? It's a question for God, and I think I've heard him answer, Not yet. Unless that's just the voice in my head. Time will tell.

Sometimes I think about the journey. Writing, rewriting. Editing, re-editing. Multiply that by 100. Then fashion a query, synopsis, and search for the appropriate agent/publisher for the book(s) and/or story(ies). Receive a rejection. Find the next market. Another rejection. Next market. PUSH (see previous post).

I can get disillusioned by the process, but then I remember...I am writing. I love this. I love writing. I'm not getting paid for it at the moment, but I really do love the process. Because writing is the process. Taking a story that started with a blank page and crafting it to the best it can be feeds my soul. I'm pretty sure God designed me to love creating stories, though that doesn't mean the prize falls in my lap. The talent doesn't take away the need for persistence. I still have to PUSH.

I want to remember that in the journey, my eye is on the prize, but I can enjoy the scenery, too. Every step is part of the process, part of learning and growing. That's what makes the journey so great.