Every year there is a lot of hype about the Super Bowl. Almost everyone watches it, snacks are provided, and everyone tunes into the see the infamous half-time show which people either love or criticize. And for the fans of the teams who are in the game, and undoubtedly those who just really love the sport, there is a lot of excitement that comes with this day. But this week I started thinking, for every player who made the Super Bowl, there are exponentially more who didn't. And for every person who worked hard to get there, there are just as many more whose hard work didn't land them in the game this time. But even though they didn't make it this year, none of those players watching from home love the game any less. And no one is giving up on the dream of the Super Bowl next year.
So why all this thought about the Super Bowl, you ask. Because I think it is a great metaphor for writing, and the place I find myself in now, and know many of my friends and fellow writers are in, too.
I know for me, and many of my friends, there is a lot of hope and anxiety around finishing your book quickly, making all the revisions, sending out to agents, and of course, getting published. But yet, in the same way that not every team gets to the Super Bowl every year, not every project we write is going to be an instant success. Do you ever have those days where you sit in front of the computer for hours and barely get half as far as you wanted? Or those days where the sentences just aren't coming out right, and you know there is totally a better way to say it that is just simply eluding you? Or, after sending out hundreds of queries, you still can't get anyone to bite? I think the answer is we all go through these things as we work hard to reach out Super Bowl of writing: publication.
But even though it can be discouraging to not make it into the final game of the year, or not get accepted for publication right away, I think it is often important to reflect on the reasons why we write – and why we love to write. So that's why I'm writing this post – to remind us all, and certainly myself, that sometimes things don't happen as quickly or quite the way we want them, but that doesn't mean they won't happen in the future, and that absolutely doesn't mean we should give up on the dreams that we love.
I know for me, from fourth grade and beyond, sometimes all I wanted to do was read. Going to the bookstore was the best, and coming out with a stack full of books so generously given to me by my parents was even better. I loved the stories I plunged myself into every week. I loved the characters and the new world views and all I learned from experiencing life after life through these fictional worlds that became so real, as if they were happening all around me. I couldn't get enough of reading, and while I enjoyed many other things as well, nothing quite felt the same way as spending time with a truly fabulous book.
So as I got older, kept reading and started writing, I realized the books that meant the most to me, the shaped my world view and became part of my beating heart, were the books of my youth. And the idea that I could make a book that so affects someone the way hundreds of books affected me — breathtaking. If only I am so blessed.
So maybe I haven't quite reached my Super Bowl of sorts yet. And maybe you haven't reached yours either. Or perhaps you are stepping into the arena for the very first time, or are even a season pro returning for another great game. But remembering why we write, and why we love books in the hard moments, big and small, can help us to keep going. Those reminders can help us train hard and stay focused; they can help us reach out for help when we need it and keep us reading all we can. But one thing that is true about all of us writers is that we love books, and we love the idea that our created worlds could do for another what others have done for us.
So why do you write? And how can that keep you motivated when you just need that extra push of encouragement as you faithfully pursue your own Super Bowl?
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