29,000 Words

I’ve written just over 29,000 words on this blog since I started it a year and a half ago. That’s the same number as you’ll find in my Home-Front Heroes children’s books! I’ve written 83 posts, each ranging between 300 and 450 words, in about the same amount of time it takes me to research, write, and publish one of those kids’ books. Amazing!

We artists and entrepreneurs are a future-focused lot. As much as we love the daily creative aspects of our jobs, we also long to hold the completed product in our hand. And sometimes it seems to be taking forever to reach that point! Then when we finish one project, we have to draw a deep breath to summon the energy to embark on another long journey. We may be excited about the trip, but it’s still hard to take that first step.

It’s both thrilling and daunting to think of starting my next children’s book. To finish a novel seems like such a huge undertaking, and yet, it’s not. This blog has proven that. I never started it thinking, “Oh God, I have to write 29,000 words before September of 2015.” I started it thinking, “I have something to say, and this is how I want to say it.” There was no pressure, no view toward a “finished product,” no end goal. There was only adventure to be had.

This blog proves that progress is made through steady, regular efforts. It’s not about staying up all night hopped up on stimulants and creating in a frenzied, chaotic manner. That’s the Hollywood version of artists at work. It’s about recommitting to your art every day and loving it all the while, and then watching in awe and wonder as your body of work grows.