Inspiring Others

My own personal challenge this month is not just writing my own novel - hardly a challenge anymore. It's being the guiding and inspiring force for others who are trying to do the same.

I have a dear friend, another writer, who has been active in many Bay Area writing groups for as long as I've known him. Wherever he goes, he attracts other writers to him by the force of his very positive personality. He is always encouraging and full of confidence not just in himself, but in the entire group. Being around him, it's hard to imagine that we won't all be rich and famous in no time at all.

My own attempts at inspiration seem feeble in comparison. I know that a large part of it is my own introversion. I love talking to people one-on-one, but I can't sustain that level of energy and enthusiasm for people in groups of more than three. I am deeply jealous of people like my friend who love meeting new people and can step with happiness and confidence into whole roomsful of people they don't know and act like they're all about to be best friends.

I guess what I can do is lead by example. I am a get up early, stay up late, keep working until it's done, do everything all the time sort of person, and yet, I think of myself as basically lazy and unmotivated. My trick is not thinking about it too much. I make my list of things and think neither of how many things there are on the list nor of the scope of any one of them. I just look at the next thing on the list, do it, and check it off.

"Write 2000 words." Check.

See? Wasn't that easy? Okay, now it's your turn.