In plot consultations with writers, I often see how the writing of a protagonist’s transformative journey in a novel, screenplay or memoir mirrors the writer’s own personal transformative writing journey.
A few weeks back, I wrote about a client struggling to bring her protagonist to the Climax of her book. My impressions were that perhaps the writer’s problem came from not having truly reached the end of her own transformative journey enough to grasp her own personal power in life and thus is having difficulty showing her protagonist in her true power at the end.
This week, I am pleased to report about another writer who after twelve years and lots of incarnations of his story has reached the true authentic ending to his book.
In those twelve years of struggle to find the right balance, the writer often despaired. He would write all the way to the end, send out query letters and sample chapters only to be rejected. Though he always received encouraging words about his writing, he always reacted to the rejection the same. He would beat himself up and, believing himself not worthy of success, quit. Each time, after he pulled himself out of the garbage bin he inevitably threw himself into, he would write another draft and send out more queries. This process repeated itself for years. The toll it took on his spirit and his body was devastating.
Finally, he undertook his own personal transformative journey. In so doing, he became clear enough to find the true story. In so doing, he found a new depth to his beliefs and his story.
Now, in retrospect, it is clear to see that if his earlier passionate dream to be published had come true, the book he holds today would have been a fraction of what it shows itself to be.
Perhaps the lesson to take away from this is the belief that until the manifestation of the thread of a dream is right and the story what it is meant to be, do not take things personally. See it as a process. Be patient. Continue to show up and write. And, at the same time, continue to challenge yourself as a person and to grow into who know you are meant to be. Find where you are on the universal story and push yourself deeper. Find your true strength and trust that when you are ready, the ending will appear.
Honor the process.
This is both insightful and inspirational. It gives writers much to think about in their own journey. Thanks for the post!
Marissa
How scary! 12 years?
Well, at least he's finished it and gotten it published.
One of the things I love about your teachings, Martha, is that they go beyond the boundaries of the craft of writing (craft being extremely important to writers) and encourage the writer's own transformation through the process of "finding" the story rather than forcing it — of being open to and thankful for the gift the story can bring to the writer's life.
When I participated in your recent plotting retreat, I did so thinking I needed to figure out how to smooth my way through the "messy, mushy middle" where my narrative non-fiction project was stuck. Not only did you help me succeed with getting unstuck (thanks to you I have the WHOLE PLOT laid out in vivid colors and visual plot lines — woo-hoo!); but because of you the themes of my story found their own voice. Already my story is a thousand times richer than it was just a month ago — and I'm still working on the first draft!
Thank you so much for the tangible techniques and tools you teach. And for the life-transforming "spirit" with which you embue the process!
Elaine
better late than never after 12 years, it shows the power of persistence.