As I recently mentioned on this blog, my summer provided me with not only an education in home renovation, but offered insights to life in general.
These similarities between creating a home and creating a manuscript seemed to come to my mind:
* "Cutting in" before applying paint to the large portions of a room, reminded me of the importance of doing thorough research and an outline before I begin a major writing project.
* Sanding again and again on my hardwood floors until they were super smooth, reminded me of the importance of editing again and again until my story begins to really sing.
* When I chose the incorrect color for our master bedroom, I was tempted to just say, "oh well, I'll live with it." But I knew I wouldn't be happy with the room or myself, so I repainted it the correct color. That reminded me of that awful time when I'd completed a draft of a story only to realize it was awful, and just needed to be deleted.
Even the photo above is an example of needing to go the extra mile to achieve the result I wanted. While it looks like the birdbath and bench were just plopped into place, it took nearly an hour for my husband and I to get them level. All in all, what I realized this summer is that lessons I've learned as a writer, are really lessons about life. Persistence, perseverance, discipline, and a desire for excellence will serve a person well, no matter what their endeavor. Something to keep in mind.
