My Own Variety

One of the nice things about having a job – by which I mean specifically a place you go where there are other people with or for whom you do this job – is that every day you do more or less the same thing, but because you do this thing in the world of other people, every day the experience of doing the thing is different. For instance, I worked as a waiter for many years. The job of being waiter never changed. I was always trying to bring customers their orders as quickly as possible while being as polite and friendly and cheery as possible. But each table of customers was different than the last, and every shift, with its unique periods of calm and chaos, was different than the one before. Though I would not often admit it at the time, doing the same job for different customers and on different shifts taught me and taught me and taught me about myself and kindness and service. In this way, the ceaseless and constant variety of challenges was invaluable.

Writing is similar to any job you might work. No matter what I’m writing, I’m always doing the same thing: looking for the effortless way forward. The right story is the one on which I can focus my complete attention effortlessly, and the right scenes or sentences are those that fit effortlessly into that story. This never changes. What does change are the stories I tell, but unlike waiting tables, there are no other people to provide a ceaseless and constant variety of challenges. As a writer, I must create my own challenges.

That’s good to remember, because I do not always enjoy being challenged. I might whine about how hard something is: What drill sergeant god dreamed up this arrangement? Why the obstacle course of difficulties set between me and that happiness I desire every moment of every day?

To write, I must accept that I am the drill sergeant, dreaming new challenges for myself each morning. The old challenges just won’t do. They’ve served me already, and it is time to find a new path toward to the same destination.

If you like the ideas and perspectives expressed here, feel free to contact me about individual and group coaching.

Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write With Confidence. You can find William at: williamkenower.com