Monday Madness: Do or Do Not...There is No Try

“Do or do not...there is no try.”

Aside from “Luke, I am your father” that famous line by Yoda is probably the most popular quotation from Star Wars. (Even if you’re not a Star Wars buff, you’ve probably heard it somewhere.)

As writers, it’s hard to distinguish between trying and doing. After all, we spend most of our time TRYING to polish our novel, TRYING to write a query, TRYING to snag an agent/editor, TRYING to get published. Whether we actually succeed depends on a mixture of skill and luck and timing, right?

Not quite.

See, there’s a difference between trying (which is often a soft excuse for not succeeding) than doing. If you’re TRYING to write a query letter, will it ever be finished? If you’re TRYING to get an agent/editor, will you actually ever get one? With TRYING there’s no guarantee of results, but with DOING, there is.

The main difference between trying and doing is perseverance and attitude. If you try to do something, there’s a big chance that you’re going to get discouraged and quit trying at some point, but if you’re doing something, then it’s a bit more difficult to stop.

Take NaNoWriMo, for instance. There's a lot of people out there who are going to "try" to participate, but by saying "try" they are not fully investing themselves in the process. They might be discouraged by other obligations, make excuses, half-heartedly invest in it. But if you approach NaNo with the "I am going to do this" attitude, then you're more likely to succeed.

So, let's say it together: No more trying. Now is the time to start doing. I AM going to finish that novel. I AM going to get an agent/editor. I AM going to get published.

Let's do it!