Are you a sitter or a lapper? Photo by Morguefile.com

“No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everyone sitting on the couch.”

Diane Flegal, Hartline Literary Agent

I found this quote in a recent blog post by Diane Flegal. It resonates with me. I am often comparing myself to those who publish gobs of stuff throughout the year and those who are making the big bucks for their novels. I set that as my finish line and whine and complain when I’m miles from that goal with each passing year. But if I would only turn around I’d see I’ve come miles from where I was ten years ago. Even with bumps and potholes that have derailed me for seasons of time, I am still on the path to the finish line of being a multi-published author. Each year I grow my blog, publish a few more articles and short stories. Last year I wrote my second novel. This year I hope to see my debut novel in print. This year I plan to write another novel and find homes for some of my short stories and article ideas.

Slow and steady to my goal. Photo from Morguefile.com

Over the years I’ve met people who want to write a book. They moan about the if-onlys and the some-days. There are lots of wanna-be writers out there. And you know what? I am miles ahead of them. I’ve written two novels, hundreds of articles and a plethora of short stories and plays over the years. I am on course even if the wind dies down and I am dead in the water due to unavoidable life dramas. Because I’m in the water heading toward the island of multi-published authors. Who knows, if I keep pressing forward I might become a best-selling author or even an author who is being read hundreds of years after my death.

But if I sit down with the moaners and naysayers who quit when stuff gets hard, I’ll never get one fraction of an inch closer to the finish line than I am today. I refuse to be a couch potato when it comes to achieving my writing goals. I will not watch others pass me and wallow in jealousy. No, I’m lapping the couch and it feels pretty good.

Are you a lapper?

If you’d like to subscribe to my blog please sign up in the right hand column.

This week’s winner of Bring Home a Cowboy are Tere Belcher and Laura Sower. Gloria will be contacting you. Congratulations! I’m sure you will love her book.