Some people want to write a book all their lives and don't write it. Others inadvertently promise their gurus to do so and write a book in seven days.
He wrote the book and this time he is being interviewed Victoria Grumblytė, a 21-year-old aspiring writer.
After promising to write her own book during Christmas last year, she started and did it. And although the book was not very high-quality (or beautifully written), the book appeared.
Let's hear from Victoria how she did it!
Hello Victoria! In five sentences or less - who are you?
I am Viktorija Grumblytė. 21 years old, creative industries student. Infected with the desire to grow, not only for herself but also together with others, she created the page Miss Victory and Eudaimond (which we founded together with a friend. More people with one goal - more power!). I also organize events. I like to constantly learn something new, test myself and be among people, improve together.
I am often fascinated by interesting personalities. They broaden my horizons, call me to action and their energy is so contagious that later I myself work at double speed and can transfer the accumulated enthusiasm to others.
Do you often challenge yourself? Where would you place yourself on a ten-point scale from the cowardly Nuobodila to the superhero Batman?
I take on challenges all the time. I would rate myself on a ten-point scale between 7-8. I'm not Batman, I still have a lot to learn, but I'm not sleeping. I strive for continuous improvement, which encourages me to challenge myself and push my limits.
Of course, sometimes I decide to do something, before I have time to get scared and when I actually have to act, my consciousness gets angry with its usual: "What were you thinking about?!", but after overcoming the challenges, I never regret it and with each time I take them on and overcome them, it becomes more and more. simpler.
And what challenge did you take on this time and why did you choose it?
I took up the challenge of writing a book of at least 100 pages in 7 days. Or in another way - to write a chapter of the book every day during the week, the volume of which would be no less than 14-15 pages.
I've been thinking about writing a book for a long time and the time just came - it just needed a push.
Before the winter holidays, when one of my then authorities asked when I would finally write a book, I gave myself a real kick and said until the next ones. So, I had no choice but to keep my word.
Overall, how did you go about achieving your goal?
Already on the second day, the question arose as to why I was torturing myself so much. Fortunately, I remembered the goal and moved forward. And I didn't go to bed until I finished writing a chapter.
The winter holidays started that week, so I couldn't devote the whole day or evening to writing. More than once I had to sit with a book until the morning, but I never went to sleep without accomplishing what I set out to do. On New Year's Eve, I finished the revisions of the last chapter and flew out to greet 2014.
But what stood in your way the most? What did you do when it was the hardest?
The biggest obstacle was the desire to do everything perfectly (after all, it usually doesn't work that way the first time). I start doing it, I see that it doesn't work as I expected and I want to stop.
So then I would take a deep breath and let the thoughts pass. Afterwards, I would remember why I challenged myself and how I would feel if I gave up. And without starting to look for excuses, I continued the work I started. That's all.
How did you feel after completing the challenge? Did you achieve what you initially hoped for?
After reaching the goal, it seemed that a burden had been lifted from the shoulders. The first feeling is a slight euphoria from the realization that you have succeeded!
Initial expectations were only partially achieved. I managed to write a book of at least 100 pages, but the quality of the book itself was not what I wanted. However, if I hadn't written those 100 pages and received feedback, I wouldn't know what else I need to work on. The realization has come that error is indeed strength! It gets me closer to the goal because I learned a lot more by making mistakes (in this case by just sitting down and writing a book without any special science or preparation) than by doing everything or trying to do it perfectly.
In the end, I'm glad I challenged myself and didn't stop on the way to my goal.
What did you learn during your challenge?
I learned a lot about myself, for example, that I keep my word or that I can predict even the shortest deadlines.
I also realized that you don't have to wait for inspiration to work - you just have to start working.
While taking care of quantity, it is important not to forget quality. Otherwise, you will complete the challenge but may not reach the goal. If you are not looking for excuses, but for a solution, you will always find it. If you learn how to keep your word - not only to others, but also to yourself - you can achieve everything you set out to do.
Do you have any advice for people who want to repeat or surpass your adventure?
I would advise you to take care of the quality of your work, don't be afraid to spend time on corrections after completing the challenge, use Brian Tracy's advice to "eat your frog", i.e. do the daily goal or task first.
The longer we put it off, the harder it is to start.
Also, divide your challenge into several equal parts (pages in the case of a book) and achieve a small goal every day that will eventually lead to the completion of the challenge. 🙂
Soooooo… What challenge will you take on now? Already have ideas or secret desires?
I've already started, I'm writing again. I learned from my first experience, now I will try to implement the goal to the end - that is, I will not lose sight of the quality, I will spend more time on repairs.
And if it turns out that I haven't learned what it takes to succeed the way I hope, I'll keep learning and try again. 🙂
Thank you very much, Victoria!
What I learned today is that if you really want to write a book (or make some other creative dream come true), then a time limit is really beneficial.
Probably similar to NaNoWriMo useful, where in November all over the world (and in Lithuania) those who want to become writers write novels of 50,000 words in 30 days. And a large part of the signature.
Maybe everyone can write if they try? After all, it is only the teaching of thoughts - the same as speaking or thinking. Or not?
If you want to repeat Victoria's challenge and start writing too, then I can recommend you:
- NaNoWriMo event (if you want to write a longer story) and his Lithuanian community.
- Chef Daniel the story of his writing challenge. It's true that he repeats such challenges even now - I don't know why he didn't mention it.
- And the story of Daniel, as he himself participated in Nanowrimo.
…And if you know of anything else I could add to this list of recommendations for aspiring writers, please let me know. I will add.
As always, I welcome your comments and shares! Thank you!
After talking to Victoria,
Pig Antanas