Creative Gods Have A Different Plan For Your Writing Journey.

Becoming A Writer

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Creative Gods Have A Different Plan For Your Writing Journey.

Episode 31 of Becoming A Writer podcast.

Rubina G Gomes

Nov 08, 2024

Transcript

Show Notes -

Episode Summary: In this episode, I delve into the often overlooked and frustrating phases of a writer's journey where it feels like the universe is conspiring against you. Whether it's constant distractions, unexpected responsibilities, or just the sheer struggle of finding the right words, it can seem like every obstacle is in place to keep you from your writing dreams. But here's the twist—these challenges might be part of a bigger plan.

I share my personal experience, from the agony of trying to write my first novel to the unexpected journey into non-fiction. Through the ups and downs, I've learned six crucial lessons about patience, persistence, and trusting the process.

Key Takeaways:

Embrace External Challenges as Growth Opportunities:
- Recognize that obstacles in your writing journey are often guiding you towards essential lessons and personal growth.
Discovering New Paths:
- My initial struggle with writing fiction led me to explore non-fiction, which ultimately became a significant part of my writing career. Sometimes, the universe redirects us to what we truly need.
Building Habits Over Finding Readers:
- Developing a consistent writing habit can be more valuable than immediately seeking readers. The discipline and skill you build will benefit all your writing projects.
The Evolution of the Self:
- Personal growth and healing are integral to becoming a better writer. Life experiences shape your writing and prepare you for future success.
Surprises and New Opportunities:
- Sometimes, the creative journey leads you to unexpected places. Embrace these surprises and remain open to new opportunities that align with your evolving self.
Trusting the Process:
- The path to achieving your writing dreams might not always be clear, but trust that the challenges and detours are leading you to where you need to be.

Resources Mentioned:

Soul Writer vs. Social Writer (my non-fiction book for writers)

Transcript -

Hello, my writer friends! Rubina here. For our thirty-first conversation, we are going to talk about creative gods having a different plan for your writing journey.

But before we do that, I need to tell you that I am taking the whole month of December a break. I will be stuck in cake flour and Christmas sprinkles up to my nose, so I won't be able to come here to chat with you. But don't worry; I'll be back on 11th Jan 2025. Now, back to our conversation.

Tell me - have you ever been in a phase where you want to write your book, but it seems that the whole world is conspiring against you? As in, sudden errands, unskippable responsibilities, ill health and other experiences like such will do their best to keep you from writing. Or even if they do allow you to write, there's this small asterisk on it with terms and conditions applied? Or are you forcing yourself to create content when you want nothing to do with it?

I know this feeling very well—of being pulled in a million directions at the same time, and it is not the direction you want to go in. It will frustrate you, irritate you, and sometimes even break your heart. But here's the lesson I am learning—whether you like it or not, realise it or not, accept it or not, it is happening for a reason.

I know, I know, that sounds cliched. So, I will use myself as an example to explain why it is true.

Hair-tearing experience of writing my novel.

The first three months I tried writing my first novel I was crying every single day. It was so hard to write! I didn't know what was going wrong but I couldn't simply put words on paper explaining the story I was seeing in my mind. I questioned myself and my choice of profession, and I scolded the creative gods for giving me the writing dream if I wasn't meant to write.

I was so hurt that I set my notebook aside and used Google to learn how to write a novel.

Moving from fiction to non-fiction.

When I started my writing journey in 2014, I wanted to write crime fiction. But as I researched and learned about it, I realised two things—one, I have a winding, treacherous road ahead when it comes to learning how to write the kind of novels I know I will be capable of writing, and second, I'll need an audience to sell my books to.

So, I shifted my focus to building an audience, and the best way to do it is to write non-fiction.

Writing essays or creating podcast episodes was never in my plan back then, but the creative gods knew what I needed and had a different plan for me.

Habit>Readers

Having decided to write online, my only goal was to find readers who would be interested in reading my work.

But the creative gods sniggered at my goal.

In the process of writing and publishing essays online at least once a week, the creative gods trained me to become the writer whose second nature became writing. They got me into the habit of writing consistently and, therefore, find my writing process as well.

Now, when I do work on my novel (which is not often, unfortunately), it goes like a hot knife on a block of butter - it's that smooth!

The 2.0 version of me.

Now, while that was happening, the creative gods were also working hand in hand with the soul gods. Their plan was, while I was figuring out myself as a writer, to upgrade myself as a human as well. They used words in all shapes and forms - the written, the spoken, the read, and the act of writing - to help me heal myself and understand myself as a human as well. Add to that life experiences like coming face to face with childhood traumas, death of loved ones, a global pandemic and reuniting with my inner child, and I now don't recognise the girl I was in 2014.

This evolution of my human self was necessary to create a fertile soil for my writer self to grow.

I didn't know about this, but the creative gods did and, therefore, took me down that path.

Writing non-fiction books.

After a couple of years of writing online, the creative gods dropped me a surprise.

"You can finally write a book," they said.

"Really?" I asked excited.

"Yes," they replied, "a non-fiction book."

"A non-fiction book?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, look!" they said and showed me.

And surely enough, in the essays I have been writing, I found a seed for a book. Long story short, I got excited about it and got to work. Last year, I published that book.

"But wait," the creative gods said, "there's more."

And again, surely enough, there was more. I won't get into details but I am working on a non-fiction series for you, my writer friend.

Again, I had no plans to write non-fiction for writers, but that's what I am doing now and helping my writer friends.

Future of my novels.

"But what about your novels?" you ask. Well, they are happening as well because the creative gods keep dropping novel ideas in my conscious mind. Over these last ten years, I am starting to see and understand what they are trying to show me. So writing novels is in the cards, just not at this moment, and I have to be ok with that.

But, why am I telling you all this?

The point is that you can't see the whole path of your writing journey. But the creative gods can. They know what you need to be who you deserve to be and achieve your writing dreams.

So, the detours, setbacks, and failures you experience are guiding you through the lessons, skills, and healing you need to prepare yourself for your future self.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to stay patient and consciously learn your way through it all.

You may not get what your ego mind wants, but you will definitely get what the creative gods know your soul needs on your writing journey.

What are your thoughts on this? Are you also facing delays in your writing journey, or do you think a Higher Power is at play here? Do you even believe a Higher Power is guiding you? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section on Substack and YouTube.

Well, that's it for today. Next time we meet, we'll talk about why you don't need more writing advice. You need more writing action.

Until then, keep writing, my friend.