Tuesday Tumbling Term ~ Challenge

Today's word is challenge. All writers face challenges while researching, writing, and publishing their books.

 chal·lenge
noun
1. a call or summons to engage in any contest, as of skill, strength, etc.
2. something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc.: Space exploration offers a challenge to humankind.
3. a call to fight, as a battle, a duel, etc.
4. a demand to explain, justify, etc.: a challenge to the treasurer to itemize expenditures.
5. difficulty in a job or undertaking that is stimulating to one engaged in it.

 Many have taken up the gauntlet where it's been thrown to the ground. To play Don Quixote tilting at windmills seeing dragons where none are. Sometimes that's what it feels like to be a writer, a wanna-be knight.

As writers, we tilt with writing through self doubts. We break our lances on grammar and syntax trying to get it right. We push through the sulfur smelling stench of dragon's breath to find and agent or publisher who will ask for entire manuscripts, possibly accept them, and pay us. We write in speculation that someone out there will like what we wrote and the way we wrote it. All the time charging forward at the windmill.

A writer's life is not easy. It is full of pitfalls, rejections, and challenges. It's a call to battle, a contest of millions that have written words on paper. Sacrifices made gladly hoping for a fulfilled dream. You could insert any challenge into the spot. But this blog is for writers and wanna-be authors in this world including this one.

Being an indie author is a harder challenge, in my opinion. It's a choice to dabble in every aspect of publishing, as well as writing. To researching new ways to advertise your product in a way it stands out among the competition. To learn or outsource things you don't know like formatting, cover art, and editing. Knowing how to manage your time and money wisely.

I read recently to be an expert at anything you have to put 10,000 hours into it. Based on a 40-hour a week work week that's roughly 4.8 years. Hmm, interesting. I'm an expert in a dozen fields or more including writing which I've done for over thirty. Do I feel like an expert? Nope. I still find new challenges within writing to keep me learning so how can I be an expert?

What does it take to take up a challenge like writing? Patience, skill, talent, creativity, and sometimes, just dumb luck. Know the odds and ignore them.Tilt at windmills and slay dragons. Take the challenge to heart and soul, and let no one dissuaded you.

Keep writing and loving the Lord.