Two Pages

Over the last few years I've come across many students, mostly in middle school, who allow fear to prevent them from following one - or more - of their dreams. In particular, at almost every school assembly I talk with young people who have a burning desire to write, and yet they're held back because of a mountain staring them down. It's the mountain of intimidation, the fear that it's too difficult and they're just not good enough. Sound like you?

There are two things about this mountain that you should know. First, it's an illusion, one that you've created yourself. And, unlike a real mountain, which is gradually worn down over time by rain and ice, you do the exact opposite: you build it up. It probably began as a tiny shred of doubt, but the more you read great books by your favorite authors, and the more you sit down and try to accomplish that same feat in one afternoon, the more that doubt begins to expand and bulge. Suddenly you utter the words, 'œI can't do that,'쳌 and you walk away.

But YOU have created that illusion. Many times you see your finished story as some unattainable goal because you're taking in the entire process in one gulp.

Here's the solution: Take a step back. Pick out your current favorite book; in fact, go so far as to actually pick up that book - yes, pick it up - and flip through the pages. Are there 300 pages? 400? More? Does it seem impossibly hard to ever create something like that?

Okay, now go to the very first chapter of the book. Look at page one, then page two, and then page three. That's all, just those first three pages. What if that was the sum total of the work? What if that was all there was to it? Does that sound ridiculous to you? It shouldn't. The vast majority of authors - very likely including the one who wrote the book you're now holding - would consider those three pages to be a great day of work. Many times they're happy with two, and sometimes they catch fire and knock out five or six. But offer them the chance to create three good pages, and they'll usually take it.

You've created this image of THE NOVEL, and with our instant-gratification society you probably have only bothered to consider the entire package. We often only think of the finished product, and ignore the tiny fractional pieces that all came together to build that product. Yes, it's sometimes intimidating to hold an entire book and wonder '˜How can I do this?' But are two or three pages that intimidating? Your worries about not being good enough are probably a result of some unrealistic goal you planted in your head, one that quickly bloomed into doubt and insecurity because the finish line seemed so far away. You're better than you give yourself credit for.

Pull your finish line back, and instead of 400 pages try aiming for two. When you've completed those two, celebrate and do something fun. Tomorrow, sit back down and write three. The next day, another three. And three the day after that. Don't even try to make them perfect during this first round; just put in the work.

Guess what? Two months will fly by faster than you can even imagine, and you'll look up to see that you have almost 200 pages finished. The mountain has eroded away, and with it your doubt and fear.

The second thing you should know about your fear is that you're not alone. Go back to the book that you love so much. Rub your hand across the cover, and look closely at the author's name. They seem like a giant, don't they? They've created a story that has captivated you, has taken you away to some magical place, and has inspired you to do the same. They are larger than life.

Except...they're not. Remember the doubt and fear that you felt? So did they.

In my writing office I have a book shelf across from my desk. On it are some of the books that have evoked a strong emotional reaction from me. They include great works of fiction, biographies, and books on writing itself. Next to the book shelf are framed pictures of some of my favorite musical artists, great songwriters who have created pieces of art that resonate with me on a personal level. Between the book shelf and the pictures I have a collection of artists who have achieved greatness. You wanna know why I have them in front of me? It's not the finished products that inspire me; it's the journey these people took to get there.

Every author, whether they're writing novels that amaze us, or songs that move us, has struggled, alone and frightened that they couldn't do it. When I look at the spine of one of those books, I see an author who is somewhere sitting alone at a desk just like mine, staring off into space, then writing, deleting, and writing some more. I see an author who once was a student with dreams of writing a book, who tried and failed and probably gave up more than once.

I see an author who wrote two pages, and decided that it was good enough to come back the next day and write three more. The spine of that book is a reminder for me as I write, delete, write. I'm alone at my desk, but I'm not alone in the journey. Neither are you.

I won't deceive you. There's no guarantee that your collection of pages will someday be staring back at some other inspired young writer. But they might. At the very least, you'll be able to take the lesson you've learned about the illusion of the mountain and apply it to your writing, your career, and other elements of your life. Remember, you're better than you give yourself credit for, and the task at hand is not as immense as you believe.

Whatever it is in your life that you want to accomplish, take it apart, two or three pages at a time.

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