rabid1st | Friends, Romans, Accomplices...a question for you all!

I have been working on my original work for a few weeks now. And I have made some progress. However, I have also been sporadic in my diligence and commitment. So, I have decided to uses the six sources of influence to supplement my willpower. You can learn more about these Six Sources and also, start working on your own goals, by visiting http://www.changeanything.com

Here is what I was asked in one of the motivation surveys they do on this site:

"Does it matter to the people around you if you never accomplish this goal?"

I thought, "Why would it matter to them?" But I think they wanted to know if people secretly expected me to fail...or succeed. In other words, how many of you expect me to actually produce a book or six for the published market? It occurs to me, considering remarks made in passing, that many people are surprised that I haven't got books out already.

I mean, I know if I never published anything, most of you would still be my online friends...because you are and I'm currently NOT published..and you are definitely not a shallow bunch. But since this question is obviously designed to motivate me in some way...probably by letting me know that people do think I can do this...do you sort of think it would be a shame if I didn't try to produce some original work?

"What is up with that Rae? I was sure I would see her writing every day and working toward this goal, but nothing is happening," you say?

I ask this because I didn't know what to put for that survey question. But also because I recently got in touch with someone I used to know in High School...and he said..."I expect you are writing for a living!" And I was shocked, because back in High School, I wanted nothing but to become a vet. But here was someone who knew me quite well and was surprised that I wasn't a professional writer by now. He and I both wrote for the school paper and I beat him out for a writing award once, so perhaps that explains it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Would I think it a shame if you didn't try? Hmm. I think if you wanted to but couldn't, that would be a shame. But I don't want you to do it if it would make you less happy. I would not, for example, think negative things about the efforts of someone who *didn't* want to try to write professionally, but preferred to write fic.

So: I think it would be great if you wrote professionally, but I also think it would be great if you wrote fic, or if you wrote nothing but did enjoy growing African violets.

As I said below, I think the purpose of this question, now that I've thought it over, was to check my environment for cheerleaders or accomplices. Some people are no doubt surrounded by enablers who do not support them in their goals. Addicts, for example, surrounded by fellow addicts have little chance of giving up drugs (or coffee).

But your answer is really what I should have expected from my FList. I think that I have surrounded myself with people who will support me in doing whatever I really want to do, but won't condemn me for failure. I don't think I am particularly discouraged from success by anyone in my LJ environment. And LJ isn't a huge distraction for me. And if I made this over into a Rah-Rah...next book out soon...cheerleader environment, I'm sure people would be pulling for me.

Rae
thanking you for your thoughtful and supportive response.

Do I think you're capable of writing at a level where I think you could do it professionally? Yes.

Would it change my opinion of you if you never published anything original? No.

I think this is the key to my FList, actually. I tend to like people with a live-and-let-live attitude who will support me in any endeavor I take and will like me no matter what I manage to accomplish.

Also, I think if I announced that I was trying to write a book and kept pushing for cheerleaders, I would certainly get a few. And, more importantly, I don't think I am surrounded by people who want me to fail...which could be the purpose of the question. Some people trying to make changes are undermined by their family or friends. I don't have that problem.

You have such a fine grasp on themes and how things are presented to audiences that it would be a shame if you didn't try reaching a wider audience by publishing something. You can probably lead your readers wherever you want them to go.

Thanks for the answer, Shen. I am going to write this book. We will see if it turns out well enough to be snatched up by an agent or publisher.

I think I've figured out the deeper meaning of that question as well. I think it was to find out if you are surrounded by people who might not want you to succeed, rather than people who do want it. Like if you are trying to give up a drug habit or lose weight (or I suppose even write a book) there might be people in your environment who want you to fail. But I don't think I have too many of those people in my circle of online or RL friends.

Thanks for your assessment and thoughtfulness in answering.

Rae

The question they ask is to highlight what control you have over your life... if you surrender the control of your life to other people by aligning yourself to what other people think and expect of you.

It's your life. You do what you choose with it.

Well, that makes some sense. I did feel weird asking people...because what does it matter to me if people want me to succeed or not? I never gave it much thought, really.

But the purpose of this site is to change your environment so that you have other sources for success. So it is also possible that they wanted me to feel that the people around me either were pulling for me or were not. Like, if you are trying to change a drug habit and the people around you are addicts, then it is a good bet they don't want you to succeed. So, you need to change some of your accomplices into supporters.

I suppose that works for writer's as well, now that I'm thinking about it...because some writer's groups definitely don't want certain individuals to succeed. That's what I find wrong with many writer's groups, the underhanded way they try to discourage some folks from writing at all. Even if they are encouraging me, I don't like being part of those groups.

Also, my feeling about LJ is that while everyone is cozy and supportive of me as a person...they love me for me. :grin: And so they are not particularly supportive of my original fiction writing goal, because it isn't really why this journal exists. This is a friendly, fanfic sort of journal, and I pick my friends for their live and let live attitudes for the most part. So, I have few cheerleaders in daily life. Perhaps I find them tedious. :grin: Perhaps I don't phrase things well in asking. Perhaps I should have asked all of you if I HAD a goal would you pull for me to succeed?

But I suppose, I already know the answer to that question...

Rae

Incidentally, the book I'm reading at the moment is You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay. I stumbled across it whilst visiting my sister, and it's a similar vein about motivation. The life changing aspects only cost a mirror that you repeat phrases at. So much about 'cures' and help involve parting with vast quantities of cash, whereas this only require me to have a voice.

Lisa

Friends, Romans, Accomplices...a question for you all!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject