Wreck This Journal: Leap!

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Sometimes I wonder if my muse and fate have an alliance going.  Whenever I question my next move or let a nasty little thing called doubt creep into my mind, something happens to give me a good old-fashioned kick in the butt.  In this case, fate and my muse arranged for this week’s Wreck This Journal page to catch my attention.  The instructions essentially call for flinging my journal from a high place.

Luckily, I live in a two story house with a vault ceiling.  The second floor hallway is open with a view of the living room, which means there is plenty of room for a little journal flinging.  Once I checked to make sure there were no cats or dogs anywhere near the “drop zone” I sent my journal over the edge.  To make things a bit more interesting, I threw it so it would flip a few times on the way down.  My journal flew like a stone and hit an end table before it landed on the floor.

The flipping action kept the book from closing on the way down, so a few pages were bent and the binding took yet another hit.  Other than that, the damage was relatively minor.  I documented my journal’s descent with a little doodle and some crayons.   While I sat drawing a set of stairs and the splat of my journal on the floor, the epiphany of this whole experience became very clear.

Life is all about taking that leap.   Whether it be jumping on a plane to explore all the places on my bucket list or diving headfirst into the challenge of teaching high school, I’ve always believed every good thing worth having requires a little courage and gumption. Even when the cliff is so high the bottom can’t be seen . . . I’ve got to buck up and jump!  The same is true with my current endeavor into the realm of writing.  My novel is done, my query letter is written, and a synopsis is on the horizon.  I have to stop doubting and procrastinating.  It’s time to jump.  Before the month of November is done, I’m going to send out at least three query letters.

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For previous posts in this series, look for “Wreck This Journal” on my sidebar in “Recent Posts” or in my tag cloud.

c.b. 2011

38 thoughts on “Wreck This Journal: Leap!”

  1. I do believe that our muses have our and their best interest at heart, which is to get their inspirations out into the world. I suspect they definitely align themselves with fate as needed to get their job done. Yours was quite astute!
    I have a fridge magnet that says take the leap, and build your wings on the way down. Let us know when those query letters go out!

    Like

    • I love your magnet! I may have to steal that quotation and put it on a sticky note. 🙂

      It just goes to show muses all always offering inspiration, we just have to make sure we are listening. 🙂

      Thanks for reading!

      Like

  2. Leila

    I’ve learned to embrace the ‘air’ as I leap. Sometimes the landing is good, sometimes not so good, but it always drives me forward. Sending good thoughts as you query. It’s a refiner’s fire.

    Like

    • That’s a good way to look at it. The air liberates and much as the landing grounds us. 🙂

      Thanks for the positive thoughts – I know the process will be rough, but I’m think I’m ready for it. 🙂

      Like

  4. Cindy Archer Photography

    I never thought I would grow so fond of this journal. Every time I have to do something destructive to it, I hesitate out of love…but then soon realize how freeing it is and how inspirational it can be too!

    Like

    • Exactly! 🙂 Wreck This Journal challenges me so much and I love how its made me grow as a person and a writer. I love the freedom if affords and the creativity it inspires. 🙂

      I can’t wait to see how yours is turning out!

      Like

  6. Good for you on making a goal of sending queries! I’m back at it myself after a hiatus following a few rejections.

    I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for both of us!

    Like

  7. Cindy Archer Photography

    Hey I have an idea and I need your help on it…you’re the perfect woman for it! I just need to know if you’d be interested. I’m still putting all the details together. I need your email…mine is ccag24@yahoo.com you can email it to me if you’d like!

    Like

    • Thanks!

      As October winds down I’m feeling the squeeze. I have a little polishing to do on my draft and a synopsis to figure out, but the deadline I’ve given myself is really pushing me forward. I remember when I was in college I always did better with a deadline looming. I think it’s the challenge I can’t resist! 🙂

      Like

    • Thanks! 🙂 I appreciate the well wishes. It’s a tough process, but I keep reminding myself it will be full of learning moments that will make stronger and a better writer. No matter what happens, the journey is worth taking.

      Like

  13. Susanne

    You inspire me to jump! I appreciate your ongoing writing journey. It give me courage and strength to continue on my own. I’m so looking forward to reading your book.

    Like

    • So true. 🙂 I’m sending my query letter to one of my trusted beta readers today so she can check it for grammar and spelling errors. I’m one step closer.

      It definitely keeps me motivated to know people are there to make sure I do this! 😉 Thanks!

      Like

  17. CB, you got this. The toughest part is done. You wrote the novel. Is it fiction or memoir? Have you thought about going to a writer’s conference and meeting with agents there to pitch the book to? I recently went to one and pitched to three agents. Two rejects on my journal project 😦
    http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Original-Journal-by-memo/143320812361373?v=info
    Both agents gave good feedback, but all I heard was “No.”

    So I switched gears and pitched my memoir. That agent wants to see the first three chapter.

    So much of the writing experience is right brained, creative, artisistic, and light. But the other side of publishing, ack. The dark side as I call it. I recently have realized that writers have think onion skins because we are artists and that thin skin allows us to see the world through the thin veil. We are not calloused with thick skins, therefor we ache when our creation gets rejected or haulted by self-doubt and criticism (at our own hands or those of others).

    I’m so proud of you for moving forward into the left brain bridge of publishing and putting your work out there. It doesn’t help when you are in the moment and an agent or publisher rejects your book, or query, but it does help give some hope to know other writers have struggled too with the rejection. Like JK Rowling. “Harry Potter” was rejected 100s of times. But seriously, thick or thin onion skin, I still cry when around onions!

    CB – Keep that onion skin just as it is. I love the light that comes through it in your writing. 🙂

    Like

    • I love the onion analogy! 🙂 Thanks so much for posting such a motivating comment. I’m all excited to get to work on my synopsis and start sending out my query letters.

      Congrats on getting that one yes! It gives me so much hope. 🙂

      I’ll be sure to keep my onion skin. It’s tough and still allows me to see that light I love so much.

      Like

  19. itpaystoberegualrunderatree

    This is fantastic! I’ve just discovered ‘Wreck this Journal’ and can’t wait to get myself one. I think I could have a lot of fun destroying the thing! Wonder where the highest place I could climb to is….
    Really impressive to see that the silly sounding processes actually make you think, and teach lessons to be applied to other tasks!
    Continue to have fun with it!

    Like

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