Trumpets and Writing

Last night, I took my son down to the school to sign him up for band and instrument lessons. He chose to try the trumpet. He's soooo excited to get started :) He set up his music stand in his room, has his book open to the first lesson, and is all ready for when he can bring his instrument home and start practicing.

Now, I know that some of that excitement will fade when he realizes how hard it is to learn how to properly play an instrument. And when he has to practice every day, even though there will be days he doesn't feel like it. And I know it might hurt his feelings when he plays something he thinks sounds really good only to have his sister tell him how bad it sounds (though I hope she won't do that!)

But I also know that if he keeps up with it, puts in the time and effort, someday in the not too distant future he'll start to sound pretty good. And if he continues with it, putting in more time and effort, he might actually sound pretty dang good.

Now he might try the trumpet for a few months and decide he'd rather play something else. Maybe another instrument will come easier for him, or he might just enjoy it more. As long as he puts in the time and effort into whatever he finally decides to stick with, I know he'll be successful in the long run.

Can you see where I'm going with this? :D

It's a lot like writing. Starting that brand new project, or starting to write for the very first time, there's always the excitement. Maybe you have a great "writer station" all set up. A new file or pad of paper open and waiting for the words you will pour out. An outline or head full of ideas just waiting to be explored.

And then that excitement can fade when the enormity of the task sinks in. Writing is a skill, one that takes a lot of time and effort to hone. There will be set backs and harsh critiques and somewhere along the way, you might decide you'd rather write YA instead of adult, or romance instead of thrillers. And that's okay.

As long as you can find what you love, stick with it and put in the time and effort necessary to really hone your craft, someday you will find the success you seek. :)