Okay, I've been thinking a lot about flexibility lately. Not in the like, the physical sense, because I haven't been able to pass the flexibility test since I was nine years old.
No, today is dedicated to a state of being flexible.
I think I'm flexible in certain areas of my life. In teaching, I'm extremely flexible. You need your class to make a table of contents and your class is waiting at the door? No problem. Wait, there's an assembly, and it started 10 minutes ago? No problem.
Teachers are nothing if not flexible.
I think I'm flexible in my parenting strategies. You want to take that trash out in 14 minutes? No problem. (But if you don't take it out in 14 minutes, I own your xBox.) You don't want to eat what I made for dinner? No problem. (Hey, I make dinner sometimes.) Make yourself a sandwich.
I guess I just didn't really realize how much flexibility is required in publishing a book.
I looked up some quotes, because I really like quotes.
"Be firm on principle but flexible on method."
~Zig Ziglar
I like this because often we read about how we should be writing, or how many words a day it takes to become an author. I'm here to say that I don't follow hardly any of them. Sometimes I read a book a day. Sometimes I go a whole month without reading. Sometimes I write 10 words a day. Sometimes 2000. Sometimes 0. My method is not yours, and yours is not mine, but we can all be working toward the same things.
"Be clear about your goal but be flexible about the process of achieving it."
~Brian Tracy
I really like this too. Do you know your goal? If so, allow some flexibility into your journey. Because authors have to be flexible. You might have to change something in your novel you're not thrilled about. You might have to wait longer than you'd like for your book to come out. You might have no control over the cover image, or the release date, or anything really, except the words of your story.
I think flexibility is the key. And those found in possession of it can open the door labeled "Not Freaking Out" and find a squishy couch to sit on inside. With cupcakes.
So, how's your flexibility?
Find Me Online
