by Christine Bush
One of my all time favorite children’s stories is Wally Piper’s The Little Engine
That Could. I work a lot with children,
and find it’s a great example of “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try
again.”
Every time I share
this story, I cheer for the little clown who won’t give up on the quest to get
the toys over the mountain to the good little boys and girls on the other side.
He never gives up hope. I
think I can. I think I can.
Persevere. Keep on truckin’. Dare to do what you think you cannot do. The power of positive thinking. Never give
up. There’s more than one way to skin a cat (ew!).
You get the idea. It’s
a good lesson. But it’s not just a
lesson for children. It’s a good lesson
for everyone who has a dream and a goal. It’s especially relevant for writers.
To me, it’s about the power of hope. That hope keeps me chugging on toward my
dreams.
It doesn’t matter how
many books I have written. Each time I sit down and face the blank page, the
new story, there is a mountain to climb.
Each time the plot takes a twist, or a character just won’t do or say
what my original synopsis planned, it’s a challenge to get over that
mountain. Every time that my story gets
stalled, because “life” gets in the way, that mountain can seem like Mount
Everest. My little writing engine can get off track
with demands from the day job, family responsibility, health issues, or just
life events. I think I can. I think I can.
All of these
challenges can seem like those negative engines who came by the little train
travelers, and told them why they couldn’t get over the mountain. I
think I can. I think I can.
But the lesson I’ve learned is that there IS a way over the
mountain, a way to fulfill our dreams and to tell our stories. Our characters in our romances also exemplify this hope, overcoming their conflicts and differences and embracing love.
The trick is to keep trying until we find the
way that works. And to never give up
hope.
What helps you get your “train” over the mountain? How to you keep rooted in hope when it comes
to your dreams?
Christine Bush is the
award winning author of many books and novellas of sweet romance and light
mystery. She also writes Middle Grade Fiction. When she isn’t writing, she can
be found working with clients as a Marriage and Family Therapist in private
practice, or teaching Psychology at a local college. She lives with her family and two crazy cats
in northeastern Pennsylvania, and loves to hear from readers and aspiring
writers.
Her latest book
“Cindy’s Prince” can be found at http://www.amazon.com/Cindys-Prince-Christine-Bush-ebook/dp/B00IFSRVJ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1393781746&sr=1-1&keywords=christine+bush+cindy%27s+prince
www.ChristineBush.com
Agree, Christine, the arts is one part of life where you really do have to think like that, because rejection/defeat/failure can be just around the corner. That's where indie pubbing has saved the sanity of so many writer friends - life is filled with possibility now compared with the old days of just submitting to traditional publishers. There are still massive hills and mountains to climb but oh my gosh, the world is now a very different and a very exciting place to be in as an author.
ReplyDeleteAh, Christine. This is such great advice. I've written far too many books and I always get through half the first draft and wonder if I know what I'm doing. It's just one word at a time, chugging toward the finish.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder to keep chugging and plugging away. I love this book, too. The reason it's a classic is because it tells a timeless message of hope and perseverance.
ReplyDeleteNice post! We all need to remember to keep on keeping on.
ReplyDeleteSuch an excellent message and a good reminder not to allow discouragement to stall you, but to use it as empowerment. Thanks for an interesting blog post!
ReplyDeleteMy engine got derailed recently with all the obligations I have outside my writing. I finally had to set aside the word count goal that kept popping up on my reminders app and say "Just 1000 words today." 1k is easy to do, and it got the story moving again so I can get back to a high word count.
ReplyDeleteThank you Christine I have applied "I think I can" to many areas of my life and I am slapping my forehead for not thinking of it in my writing. Now I will, one word at a time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the inspirational post. I think we all go through this!
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