One thing I learned rather quickly when I moved to Ohio was come fall, it’s about football. More than once I’d have a Friday evening meeting to learn it was cancelled because there was a high school game nearby. When I braved Saturday grocery runs, everyone wore the same color, and sometimes even the same type of shirt. Ohio State red.
Football around here is more than a hobby, it’s a passion.
Observing high school sports, I realized my writing life is a bit like the football player. The teams around here want more than a few wins. Their goal is the championship.
- Like football, I need to set the bar high.
If it had been up to me, I’d still be crafting a newsletter for my local Mothers of Preschoolers group, and nothing more. God stirred my heart to dream bigger and write for a wider audience.
While I’m lounging in our pool on a hot July day, our school football team is working it. Many weight lift year round. They start practice long before the first game.
My writing isn’t an overnight success. My recently completed contemporary romance has seen draft after draft and even as I blog this, I’m praying about a major change to the story even as I create the next in the series.
- Writing takes practice. Learning. Going over the words until you dream about the story. Attending seminars, classes and conferences.
I’ve watched my friend’s son move through the ranks. Now that he’s an upperclassman, the coach has plans for him. There’s anticipation because they’ve seen good things from him on the field. There’s a chance scouts are paying attention. And if they like what they see, they could court him for bigger things after graduation.
- Quality authors don’t automatically get the call to publishing. They earned their dues and place in the market. I have peers who were so anxious to see their name on a cover and they rushed it, putting to print a work that wasn’t ready.
When I think about where my work is at and the next steps, I’m suited up. I’m watching great friends get the call and run to the field. I have the playbook, I’ve practiced, and my time is coming. I’m setting lofty goals and more than ever, I’m tuned into my coach, waiting for His leading.
And believing one day soon the masses will enjoy my work as much as the people in Ohio love their football.
