WARNING: This is a no-edit zone…

Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game. -Goethe

I came across the above quote this morning, and I have to say that it suits my mind-set at this moment so well, it’s almost spooky.

This is November, and as those who’ve been with me awhile know, that is my renewal month. The time when I look back at the past year and review all that’s happened–and what hasn’t–and reassess and plan for the year ahead.

A great deal of the month was taken up with two projects. A proposal that had to be redone and a YA (young adult) idea that just nagged the spit out of me and wouldn’t turn me loose.

And so it’s been an unusual November for me. One in which I’ve worked on a total of five different projects–a mainstream novel, a series of YA novels, a Bombshell novel trilogy, and two nonfiction projects, one of which has a new pub date of January 2006!

Busy times. Busy times. But also daring times–and why the quote above snagged my interest.

It is no surprise to anyone writing that were are in a tough-time period. Those cycle so few are in panic-mode, but I have to tell you. These cycles have what can be wonderful perks–if you have an open mind.

You can develop this attitude about what you’re writing. You can be more willing to take bigger risks. You can throw caution to the wind and write EXACTLY what you want to write.

I mean, if your income is reduced due to cycles in market conditions, then it’s really not drastic to step out on a limb and do something dramatically different. Something you’ve wanted to do for whatever reason but held back because things were going great guns on the financial front and you didn’t want to take a tumble.

But now, well, you tell yourself, why not? Why not step out on the limb? Give that book of the heart the time and focus to bring it about? Why not do that which only earning money has stopped you from doing?

Big risks mean big successes or big failures. But you know what I’ve discovered. The failure is not taking the risks. In not doing that which you feel driven or inspired or hungry to do.

What this means–my little tidbit of wisdom gleaned for the day–is that there is no failure in trying anything you feel driven or compelled or inspired to write. Just do it. There is only failure in burying the desire to do it.

I think this is a critical point. One I must ponder today, and likely many days. Failure is not doing that which means much to you. Success is doing that which means much to you.

And so the absence of money, or the diminishment of money can actually be liberating and gaining riches. Money gets out of the way.

Now isn’t that an interesting take? Mmm, definitely need to ponder more on this–after I get the final proofing done on ONE WAY TO WRITE A NOVEL. That’s the project for today.

Blessings,

Vicki