We all have goals, right? Dreams, desires, things that have been niggling at us for years. For writers, it’s the dream of writing a novel. You’re a writer if every time you hear an interesting job description, read a compelling story in the newspaper, you think, hey, that would make an interesting premise for a novel. Well, this is the year to make that happen.

Every week on Book Therapy we’ll be studying another aspect in storytelling – taking the “Heroes Journey” and breaking it down into bite-sized pieces for you to chew on and put in your Heroes Journey notebook. When we’re done, you should have the elements of how to write a great novel.

Every Friday, we’re going to put those lessons into action by offering exercises—and asking you to post them. Over the weekend, we’ll make comments (and you can help others, too!), helping you hone your work. Sound fun? Yes, we’re writing geeks over here at Book Therapy – we think that sounds like a blast!

Before we get started, however, we want to clear our writing spaces, mentally and physically. No one starts a journey without gathering their supplies, stretching out, getting into shape (at least you shouldn’t!). So…this week we’ll be talking about the Writer’s Life…Getting in Shape for the journey.

I remember the day when I decided to write a novel. I was in Siberia, in the middle of a cruddy winter, I had four children, all under the age of six, and my husband was gone. A LOT. I had read everything in the house at least twice, and decided that my own imagination could do at least as well as one of the books I’d devoured in a day. (boy, did I have much to learn!) I sat down at the computer and said, “I’m writing a book.”

It took me a year of working, first on Saturdays, and then every day. But I finished it (to all who think that then I ran out and found a publisher – not! 4 books later…)

What I learned with that first novel was that:
1. Writing a good novel was harder than I thought and I needed a lot of work.
2. I loved to write and was willing to make the journey, whatever it took.
3. Even if I never got published, God could use my writing journey for good in my life.

A writer’s life is solitary, hard work, fraught with rejection, frustration and even envy. BUT, if you look at it like another way that you will grow as a person, and experience your world, then it’s a journey that is ripe with rewards.

Today, I want you to take a deep look inside yourself and decide. Do you have the resolve to say the following: “Hey, I’m a writer. I’m on a journey. And I’m not going to quit until I get there, regardless of the pitfalls, the frustrations and the fact that somewhere down the road, even my family may look at me and say, are you sure?” If so, then join me tomorrow when we’ll talk about carving out time and space to write in.

Blessings on your New Year!