“For those determined to fly having no wings is just a little detail.” Jane Lee London
It’s way too easy to play it safe in life. To stay at a job we don’t like, to never move far away from where we are born, or to never branch out and try something new. Is it the fear of failure, the comfort of the familiar, or maybe both that keeps us locked into surviving instead of thriving?
I can remember the first time I flew in a plane. I was both nervous and excited when the plane began to taxi down the runway. I held the seat with both hands until the plane finished its climb to cruising altitude. I relaxed a little but was still jumpy with any new noise that I heard. Coming down out of the clouds evoked the feeling of falling and I was nervous all over again. I still feel that way every time that I fly.
I wrote a novel. And with fluttering and nerves I queried publishers. I left the safety of the familiar and launched out not knowing what I would find. My first novel will soon be published by The Wild Rose Press. I’m now in the process of writing my third novel. My second is in their hands for review.
For me writing fiction was my way to break out of the routine of life and fly. My lack of wings was only a minor detail. I have experienced so many firsts with my characters, I’ve explored new areas, and learned new things all in the name of writing.
“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters I am not. I write to explore all of the things I’m afraid of.” (Joss Whedon) I can say yes to all of these.
I love the way my fingers feel flying over the keys while characters dialogue and they come to life on the page. Writing fiction has given me wings to soar and see life in a whole new way. Here’s to flying, and thriving.