It's Time To Get On the Train

Many of you know the Christmas classic The Polar Express. But did you know this movie offers advice for struggling writers during the holiday season as well?

I love the holidays—the music, the Christmas parties, the eggnog—but the season can add stress to our already stressful lives. 

Where I live, the sun sets at 4 pm, triggering my self-diagnosed seasonal affective disorder (yes, I’m taking Vitamin D supplements).  

Going out of town or welcoming family into your home can up the ante. 

Then there’s the stress of Christmas shopping—not just getting it done but also finding the right gift. 

And if you have kids, those little critters are going to be running around the house looking for something to do for the next two weeks. Yikes!!

If you’re like me, I usually spend time during the holidays reflecting on the past year and planning the next year.

This kind of reflection can easily thrust some writers into an existential crises, as they ask themselves, “Does my story matter?”

Asking this question is like asking the Hero Boy protagonist (voiced by Tom Hanks) of The Polar Express, “Do you believe?”

Do you believe that your story matters?

Do you believe you have something to say?

I’ll bet you can’t name the past five winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature. I certainly can’t. But if I asked you to name the last five books that mattered to you, you’d have no problem rattling off names of authors who impacted your life. 

Last week, we looked at imposter syndrome and the importance of giving yourself to your readers.

Today, we’re going to look at how to keep believing that your story or message matters.

Let’s go!

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The Polar Express tells the magical story of a young boy who embarks on a journey by train to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. The movie, which began as a book, offers great advice for skeptics…and struggling writers (who share some similarities). 

Here are three pieces of advice this movie reminds us to do that apply to our writing:

Get on the Train

The Conductor tells the Hero Boy, “One thing about trains…it doesn’t matter where they’re going. What matters is deciding to get on.”

Writing is a journey that we must continue daily (sometimes hourly). You don’t know what will happen when you sit down at the keyboard, but you must take that first step.

This can be as simple as opening the Word document of your first draft. Perhaps it’s replying to your copyeditor after putting that off for several weeks. Or maybe it’s scheduling a meeting with me to honestly confess, “I’m stuck. I don’t know what to do. Please help!”

This holiday season, I invite you to ignore the voices in your head, get in that train, and start writing. Identify one small thing you can do to move forward today and do it. If you miss it, try again tomorrow.

What happens afterward is a different story. What matters is deciding to begin.

Nothing overcomes lethargy and doubt like taking action.

DO. SOMETHING.

Kick Your Doubts to the Curb

The ghost on The Polar Express calls the Hero Boy a doubter, and sure enough, when our hero arrives at the North Pole on Christmas Eve against all odds, he is unable to see Santa or hear the beautiful jingling of the sleigh bells. After his arduous journey, he cannot reap the rewards because of his doubts.

All writers doubt themselves. 

READ. THAT. AGAIN!

They doubt whether they have anything worth saying, whether they’re any good at what they do, and whether they’ve worked hard enough, even after they’ve published their book.

I feel bad for writers who have done the hard work, put themselves out there, and shared their story or message but still question whether any of it matters.

Imagine if in The Polar Express, the Hero Boy kept doubting himself and returned home without seeing Santa or experiencing any of the joys of Christmas at the North Pole. 

Which is the better story—the one where the boy listens to his doubts, or the one where he believes?

As a writer, you must believe in yourself. 

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is look in the mirror--look yourself right in your eyes--and say, "My book is going to change the world."

Doubts have their place, but not at every point in the journey, and especially not at what is supposed to be the joy of publishing. 

Believe in What You Can’t (Yet) See 

Belief requires action without confirmation. 

The Polar Express’ famous line of “Seeing is believing” applies to writers as well. As a writer, it can be hard to see your book making a difference—when books first start hitting the market, when excitement has died down after your book release, or years down the road when you’ve moved on to other projects.

That’s because the impacts are constantly happening, and sometimes in ways you don’t expect.

You won’t hear from every fan of your book, but there will be fans. You will continue to reach people through your work, even if you’re not aware of it. You must keep tending to your belief like a fire in an old woodstove. Believe that you are good, that you are a worthy writer, and that your story matters.

Never underestimate the power of ordinary people sharing their stories. Humans have been telling each other stories since the beginning of time, and that’s not going to stop anytime soon. 

Your job this Christmas is to keep believing. Isn't that what Christmas is about?? Believing that the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, laying in the manger, is going to save us from ourselves.

Take steps forward on the journey to prove that you can do it. Tell your doubts to take a backseat. If you need someone to help tend your fire of belief during the holidays, schedule a meeting with me. I’m happy to be your conductor if you’ll only just get on the train.

I've made time over the next week to discuss the possibilities of your book. Click below to get on that train!!

Let’s bring your book to life!