NoQu 26 Pep Talk #2: RM Archer

This pep talk was written by RM Archer as a collaboration with NoQuWriCo. We hope it encourages and resonates with you.

Sometimes, you have to re-prove to yourself that you can write. And write consistently. Whether you're participating in a writing challenge or coming off a long sabbatical, getting back into the groove requires a mixture of confidence and discipline. Confidence that your skills haven't disappeared (even if they're a little rusty) and that this is still the work you've been given to do. And discipline to actually sit down, day after day, and put words on the page. It also requires the humility to acknowledge when something isn't working and to make the necessary adjustments so that you don't kill your confidence and you can actually maintain a sustainable discipline.

Slowly, my confidence is returning as I ease off a lengthy sabbatical and begin to face the page again. I'm beginning to find things to say again, and the right ways to say them, and the joy of writing is beginning to return. My discipline... still needs a little work. But confidence is built through practice, which takes discipline, and butt in chair is the best way to prove to yourself that yes, you can write, and you can write consistently—whatever consistency needs to look like for you in your current circumstances. That's what writing challenges are so good for!

Hopefully, as a NoQu participant, you've been building that confidence already and you're beginning to see the fruit of your discipline! By this point, your story is beginning to develop, and you are developing as a writer through it. You're learning what works and what doesn't, what your project needs to be, what kind of writer you need to be. These lessons will crystalize more, the further you go through your project, but go ahead and share what you've learned so far in the comments!

What adjustments have you discovered needing to be made (either in your story or your writing practice)? How have you already seen yourself growing through this project so far? What emotions do you want to bring up in your readers—and how are you feeling about the writing process right now?