Driving Miss Carole

E.L. Doctorow once said that, "Writing is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." Those of you who know me well know that I can’t drive well at night. I have to stick to city roads where the street lights counteract my night blindness. Even so, this quote appeals to me, especially right now. I can’t see the end of the journey; geez, I don’t even know for sure if I’m making the journey! The publishing world is a fickle friend. There are obstacles and road blocks in my way that weren’t there before. For the first time ever, I have a bit of a writing block, perhaps from a lack of confidence. But like the driver, making her way through the dark night, I don’t have to see the end of the road. I can summon enough courage and determination to go to the end of my headlights by opening my computer and plodding along until the ideas that need to come, do come. I have people all along the way (with flashlights) cheering me on as if this was a marathon—and it is! But I can treat it as a sprint. Just go to that corner. Okay, now to the next watering spot. Head around the curve and enjoy that spot of shade. Onward! Ignore the runners passing you all around and run your own race. Hmmm, somehow this has turned into a foot race instead of a night time cruise! I’m not a runner either! But the truth is that the journey is the same whether on foot or in a car. You have to keep going, a little bit of the time, slowly but surely, if you want to get to your destination. When I drive at night, I’m really, really slow. I don’t usually subject passengers or other drivers to the torture of that unhappy circumstance. I stay in town or catch a ride with a fellow traveler. This time, however, I think the situation calls for a more adventurous spirit. I’m going to get a monster truck with giant wheels and the latest headlight technology. That way if I can’t see, I can just run over whatever obstacles are in my way! How do you overcome discouragement? Other than by consuming massive amounts of chocolate :) Do tell…