Category: Writing

Failing Without Failing

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Try Again Fail Better Samuel Beckett

We’re almost halfway through the year and as such we’re nearing the halfway point of The 2017 One Story Per Week Writing Challenge. It’s a tough challenge and many of us have slipped behind. There have been whisperings from writers about failing the challenge, about being unable to sustain the pace required to write 52 stories in one year.

But is it really failing if you fall short and write 40, 30 or even 20 stories in the year? Twenty stories in one year doesn’t sound like failure to me, it sounds like a damn fine achievement.

Which brings me to goal setting. See, every year I set myself 3–5 SMART goals, most of which are ambitious but I always believe I have a chance of achieving them (otherwise what’s the point of setting them?). I create goals that will push and challenge me. So much so that if I fail I don’t actually fail. I achieve more than I would have had I not set a goal in the first place. Had I just plodded along.

Comfortably.

Safely.

So, if you’re beating yourself up about not being where you wanted to be in June 2017, look at where you are now compared to the start of the year. And if you’re not very far along at all? No matter. You can’t change your past, but you can act now, and you can shape your future.

Keep on going.

Keep on failing.

Keep on achieving.

Let’s Celebrate Finishing Stories

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Celebration Fireworks Rainbow Bridge Tokyo

I was recently listening to Jon Padgett’s interview on The Lovecraft eZine. Jon mentioned Thomas Ligotti’s ‘victory walk’ upon finishing a story. And it got me thinking, I should celebrate finishing my stories more. Sometimes upon finishing a story I, too, will go for a walk but it’s less a celebration and more about clearing headspace and taking a breather. A mental respite, if you will. Too often, I’ll just move onto the next story which may be good for productivity, but, come on, we’re human beings not production factories, we’ve got to celebrate our victories and finishing a story is one hell of a victory.

Here are some ways you might want to celebrate the completion of a story:

  • A glass of wine/bourbon/craft beer/insert your poison here (disclaimer: not encouraging the consumption of actual poison)
  • Movie night/trip to the cinema
  • Going out for food/eating your favourite home cooked meal
  • Playing video games (you finished a story, you deserve Resident Evil 7 in your life)

Personally, I reckon I’ll alternate between most of these including Ligotti’s victory walk—I love getting out in nature, especially with a good audiobook, and that’s what this is all about, creating a celebration that you love.

Now I’m not going to celebrate finishing every single draft (that sounds a little close to procrastination, at least with short stories), but I reckon celebrating the first and final draft is a good rule of thumb. But, hell, that’s just me—you should do whatever you’re comfortable with.

So, over to you, how do you celebrate a finished story? Let me know in the comments or via twitter @wilsonthewriter.