Permission
The boy said, “Daddy, is it okay if I just call you ‘Dad?’”
I replied that I appreciated him asking, but explained it was his choice.
“Okay, I’m going to call you ‘Dad,’” he said.
Confirmation
Over 14 years ago, I invited an old school friend to my wedding.
He RSVP’ed that he’d come with a guest. But he no showed the event.
Years later, I ran into that friend and after catching up for a bit, I asked why he wasn’t able to attend the wedding.
The friend explained that he got the invitation, RSVP’ed, but never heard anything back after that.
Yep, he expected to get a reply confirming that I received his RSVP.
Contrast
It’s amazing how many different ways we can process and apply information.
My son knew what he wanted, sought permission, understood the variables, and immediately made a choice.
My old buddy (obviously clueless about wedding rituals) wasn’t even seeking permission, received it anyway, yet he still expected his decision to be reinforced.
Reminder
Whether you know what you want or you’re a bit clueless about next steps, please never forget that you must move forward in your unique, creative way.
Your unique way means you must stay aligned with your genuine voice, writing style, creative process, and more.
So you are permitted to write by the seat of your pants.
Or outline.
You are also permitted to write long drawn out chapters.
Or fast draft short scenes.
And when you’re done with your novel, you are permitted to go the indie route.
Or pursue traditional publishing.
Don’t Just Do It Their Way
Or mine.
Straight up, it’s scary how quickly people can fall down the rabbit holes of other people’s paths.
I’ve done it far too many times.
I’ll discover someone’s cool, new approach and focus on doing it their way. Because I hope it’ll be a shortcut.
And while it may actually work, it rarely aligns with my personality or my creative style.
So I end up getting lost between their way and mine.
Then I’m not in love with the finished product or the way I got there.
And I don’t want that to happen to you.
Especially because I’m going to start diving deeper into plot structure during the next few weeks. (Oh yeah, plot structure was one of the three most desired topics from my January survey.)
And plot structure was something that really helped me see storytelling in a new light. However, that doesn’t mean it’s all going to be the best fit for your creative style.
If anything, I just want to give you more info to consider as you create your unique story.
So keep all of this in mind as I share new stuff and you consume other people’s stuff, too.
Remember that your instincts will typically lead you to the right choice.
Remember that even though I’ve given myself the self-proclaimed title of “Lucid Storyteller” – with a wink, mind you – I’m still just a guy with a blog who’s sharing what he’s learned.
Remember above all that you’ve got to stay you on the page.
Are we on the same page?