Create first draft … doubt self … panic … hate self … throw out draft … rinse and repeat.

This is how a best-selling author describes the writing process he endured in his quest to become a best-selling author. A link to his story was served up to me via Twitter this morning, just two short days before my writing retreat. http://tinyurl.com/4z7b4bh

In his article, he pulls back the creative curtain and reveals just how painful and awkward and frustrating writing can be.  He argues that writers who are successful are the ones who persevere, who just keep writing no matter how bad the writing is, how hard the writing is, how fruitless it might feel. They just keep leaning in until they bust out the other side.

It was just what I needed to read.

I’ve been stressing about the weekend. Worried that I will get sick and have to miss it. Worried that I’ll come down with writer’s block and waste it. Worried that I’ll churn out 100 pages of words that will feel good in the moment but fail to inspire me when I read them again later. I’ve had doubt, panic, self hate, everything the author describes.

I am trying to take this article to heart and not place too much pressure on this weekend. Just serve it up to God and see what He does with it. It may be a powerful and positive experience. It may be a tough slog and require that I lean in.  Please pray for me that I can enter it with a calm, peaceful, focused yet relaxed mindset. I’ll let you know how it goes!