The Writing Life
God take us back, the place we began
The simple pursuit of nothing but You
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[Because] nothing and no one comes close to You
Nothing could ever come close
Nothing and no one; it’s You and You only
Nothing could ever come close
“Simple Pursuit,” Passion
“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 3:12-4, New American Standard Bible
Sometimes, you want to tackle a big writing project. You head into the work and discover you’re not ready for it. The work defeats you.
Find the thing in you that is different, that’s as sharp as a diamond and ragged as a razor. Hone that, because that’s the thing with which you’ll cut the world. — Clayton Cubitt, The Great Discontent
Spiritual and emotional growth happens in microscopic increments. — David Brooks
It’s great to have big goals and dreams, but they can sometimes steal from the present. There is no room for anything but THE MISSION. The world tarnishes. You begin to feel impoverished.
A work in progress quickly becomes feral…It is a lion you cage in your study. As the work grows, it gets harder to control; it is a lion growing in strength. You just visit it every day and reassert your mastery over it. —Annie Dillard, The Writing Life
Starting a new draft has fears associated with it. Continuing with the one you’ve begun is a different matter. It has its own fears.