The earliest writing document you can find on my Mac is from 2007 which was the year I got my new laptop for college. I’d assume there are others stored somewhere in the hard drive of my family’s desktop, but no matter when they are from every single writing project had one thing in common: none of them were finished.
My routine year after year was disgustingly consistent. I’d get a good idea, think it out for a while, decide to try and write it out, get through some of it, and then insist that it wasn’t good enough, a stupid idea, or that I needed to focus my time on more realistic ventures.
I posted a picture of Instagram earlier of a script that broke the routine. In 2018 this script became the first writing project I had seen from start to finish. It was two years in the making, but the first draft was finished in about 6 days.
The feeling of finishing the script, made me want to go back and finish another story I had started the summer before. It is this story, after four grueling drafts, that is currently in the hands of the publisher being edited and proofread for the final time.
For so many years I stood in the way of my own accomplishments. I’m disappointed thinking about all the times I’d stop writing something I really liked because I’d convince myself it sucked. Then I think about how many times I’ve stood in my own way in other areas of my life. The times when I let fear or embarrassment control my thoughts. It still happens to this day! Even with three scripts, a finished novel, and one in the works, I still have to check my own negative
Whether it be a diet, a piece of artwork, a photography class you’ve always wanted to take, or any other adventure you’ve wanted to start, just finish it.
Yeah, maybe it sucks the first time, but I promise you it will only get better each and every time.
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Previously Published on briantownsend.com and is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: Shutterstock