by Stephanie Morrill
It was about 18 months ago when I realized I had totally fallen in love with the music of Mumford & Sons. I don’t know how it happened, honestly. White Blank Page kept coming on my Pandora station, and one day I was like, “Man, I really love this song. I think I really love all their songs, actually!” Then I stole the CDs from my husband with no intentions of returning them, and he’s fine with that because I listen to them so much he’s burned out anyway.
Hopeless Wanderer is one of my favorites. I won’t pretend to know what it’s really about, but many of the lyrics connect with my writer’s heart. As a writer, I can certainly be a hopeless wanderer and I’ve had to learn the necessary disciple to write and edit full stories.
I’ve also had to learn a lot of discipline to dream big … and yet embrace where I am in my writer’s journey. Which is why I love the line, “I will learn to love the skies I’m under.”
It’s easy to think about all the things you wish were different. I wish I had a contract. I wish I were so successful I could write whatever I want and know it would be bought. I wish I had finished this book six months ago.
If I’m to learn to love the skies I’m under, I have to learn to focus on what’s good about now. Like that I don’t have the stress of a deadline and can give the story room and time to grow. Or that I don’t have to be marketing another title as I write this story.
Don’t let worries about the future and what ifs rob you of the joy of where you are right now. What’s something great about where you are in your writing journey? Is that you’re having fun? That you’re learning how to craft a great character? That you’re enjoying some time away from your manuscript? That you can write whatever genre you want? We’d love to hear!